My food & drink job: Georgina Blumsom, national account executive, Belazu

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HEADSHOT_Georgina_1

Name: Georgina Blumsom

Age: 29

Job title: National account executive

Company & location: Belazu, London

Education: Psychology at Bournemouth University

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? For years I wanted to be a chef – working in food was always something I was drawn to, I’m now just on the other side!

Why did you decide to go for a career in food and drink? I wanted to grow my career in an industry I’m passionate about, whilst engaging my people management skills.

“Belazu’s sustainability mission is at the heart of the business and this very much aligns with my core values”

Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): I manage relationships and accounts of several of our key retail partners, working closely with the marketing team to develop strategies that strengthen our presence and portfolio in-store, and drive sales growth.

What does a typical day look like for you? Every day is different, which I love. It ranges from presenting new products to our customers, to working with our category insights manager and marketing team to look at what’s going on in the market. I need to have a consistent grip on our performance as a business, so analysing sales data plays a big part in my role.

BELAZU Harissa range oil

Tell us how you went about applying for your job: I came across the job ad on LinkedIn, and went from there! I received an email and an initial phonecall followed by three interviews.

What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? Talking about food every day is the best! I think it’s a really sociable industry, and it’s so rewarding seeing your hard work appear on the shelf. Belazu’s sustainability mission is at the heart of the business and this very much aligns with my core values and giving back to the community.

And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? A big misconception is that working in food is just about selling the ‘product’. In reality, there are so many layers to the launch of a new product, with lots of discovery and problem-solving behind the scenes across various teams. I think it’s important to connect customers to the story of a great product.

What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? From someone who did a complete industry pivot, don’t let the shift dishearten you! A passion for food, enthusiasm, and being hard-working goes a long way. Get stuck in to as many opportunities, networking events, and trade shows as you can, and remember no question is a silly one.

What’s your ultimate career dream? I am so excited about what’s to come at Belazu, and just want to learn as much as I can! Every day is different, and though it’s only been nine months, it’s been a fantastic journey!