Responsibility of Worldwide Shopper Product Director: Including product development, design and analysis, training and operationalisation of Shopper Insight solutions across RI’s markets.
Previous responsibilities included Director role on Vodafone and Unilever accounts, specialising in Innovation and Shopper studies.
Key achievements:
• Product development of RI’s suite of shopper insight solutions and shopper offer
• Worldwide consultancy on Shopper Insight
• Marketing Effectiveness Award 2006 for Innovation work with Vodafone
• Development of “green” research solutions

Three core areas of responsibility:
1. Strategic planning and management of Category Management and Shopper based studies across all categories and markets.
2. New techniques and best practice
3. Continuous and Team management responsibilities (Budget of $6m)
Close working with senior management from Marketing and Customer Management.

Key achievements:
• Shopper Insight planning and influencing a “Shopper” based approach to the business at a European level
• Managing a team of 4 Insight Managers
• Contract negotiation with Nielsen
• Identification, development and testing of new techniques (e.g. Neuroscience, “Virtual Store”) through Global Process Council (Best practice and new techniques)
• Training and development on Shopper Insight

August 2003 to April 2004 (9 month contract)
Responsible for all NPD research in Coffee & Children’s drinks and a team of 2 research planners. Experience included involvement at all stages of NPD, from idea generation through to final volume forecasting. Studies included on-line concept testing, screening and for BTL advertising testing and Advertising testing ATL. Supported brand positioning work for Coffee mate.
Key Achievements:
• Responsible for the research and development of Nestlé’s new Fair Trade Coffee “Partners Blend”.

World Travel – Asia and Australia travel for 6 months

Head of Sensory / Senior Consultant – Responsible for sensory team management and development of NPD services. Consultant on Category management studies and general NPD programmes. Divisional board member and unit head with budgetary responsibilities of £1m.
Associate Director – responsibilities included: Integration of SRL (Sensory Research Laboratories) into Martin Hamblin group and development of Sensory business unit and NPD.
Key Achievements:
• 3 year Business Plan for SRL integration into the group
• Development of branded services for sensory unit
• NPD guide for Research Managers – marketing publication
• OTC services development

Account development
• Danone / Jacobs – NPD of key brands, Category management studies
• St Ivel – Full Optimisation of Brands using continuous sensory development programme of research
• Findus – International NPD development and of existing brands and sensory product optimisation.
• Novartis – Introduction of OTC brands into UK market, packaging research.

Research Manager – responsibilities included: Management of £3/4m research budget, liaising and managing quantitative and qualitative agencies/consultancies for ad-hoc and continuous data (TNS, Nielsen).
Working with marketing, sales and category teams to identify and provide research requirements to aid category development initiatives.
Examples of ad-hoc studies include: In-Store Customer satisfaction, Shelf Stand-Out, Qualitative brand perception, Quantitative Decision Making Process, Modelling studies for Marketing spend allocation, Accompanied Shopping.
Key Achievements:
• Team development of business plan using supporting market research data (ad-hoc and continuous), identifying new market opportunities for the Oils and Yellow Fats markets.
Won Category Captaincy of Safeway and JS account.

Research Executive – responsible for the design, management and reporting of projects. Experience includes: Product Optimisation (using Trained Sensory Analysis Panel data and consumer acceptance data) Product Testing, Packaging, Concept Screening and Development across food and drink on a National and International level.
Senior Research Executive – similar responsibilities with additional emphasis on account development and marketing on a National and International scale.

Research Officer – responsibility for the management, design and marketing of quantitative research services (including sensory analysis).