What was your first ever job? Sales manager for Wolseley plc selling plumbing materials. Give us a quick run-down on your career to date. After starting my career working as a graduate for Wolseley, I moved to Scottish & Newcastle then to United Biscuits in 2002. Over the past five years I have looked after the big UK retailers in a sales or category capacity. I now head our grocery channel marketing function. How did you get where you are today? I have been lucky enough to work for companies that have allowed me the headroom to prove myself and develop. Has you career followed a logical path? I have worked across sales, category and channel marketing, which is a fairly logical path. However, I'm not sure about the moving from building to biscuits. What is the best decision you have made in your career? Moving to United Biscuits. For such a large company everyone can have an impact on what we deliver and how we deliver it. Who do you most admire in the grocery industry? Justin King - he's given Sainsbury's real momentum. What is the most important piece of information you have ever been told? The best ideas can just as easily come from the shop floor as the boardroom. If you could change one thing in the grocery industry what would it be? To be more creative in the way we interact with the shopper. What is the most rewarding part of your job? Developing a team of people who are so enthusiastic about their brands, customers and categories. If you could start your career again, what would you do differently and why? I'm not a fan of looking back. I'm only half way through my career so I hope I'll still have the chance to do all the things I want to do! What advice would you give to someone starting out? Make it your mission to understand the needs of your customers and consumers better than anyone else - it will help you guarantee your ideas become reality What do you like doing when you are not working? Having worked in the drinks industry it goes without saying I enjoy spending time in the pub with friends.