Cornerstone London

Experts in UK and International board and executive recruitment, executive interim management, & career coaching.

Interim Commerical Director – Confectionary

Profile

A professional commercial manager with skills in sales, marketing, and team leadership. A particular expertise in food service (HoReCa). Has delivered cultural change across Western Europe yielding €1.2m gross margin benefit in the first year. Lead the Barry Calllebaut UK Gourmet team to deliver a volume increase of 105% over six years alongside a rise in gross margin of 191%

Skills

  • Long term planning – Strategic planning /annual planning
  • Business development – national and international (W. Europe)
  • Applied commercial acumen
  • Development of brand equity
  • Production sales awareness
  • Team building/coaching

Achievements

For Barry Callebaut

  • In the role of Regional Marketing Manager delivered a strategic shift – to move from product to customer led marketing including refocusing brand communications to customer focus
  • Created, acquired buy in for and delivered year one of a plan to develop and HoReCa business to grow 32% in volume, and add €5.2m to the gross margin
  • In the Alicante General manger role generated via the sales and NPD teams a pipeline of opportunity of €2.2m
  • Achieved a smooth transition to the new ownership
  • In the role of Sales and Marketing director UK Over 6 years grew volume by 105% and margin by 191%
  • Opened Cash and Carry market generating €500k gross margin pa
  • Successfully defended the 50% of margin coming from distributors against grey stock
  • Built the Callebaut brand in HoReCa to being the 1st choice of the chef

For Booker Cash and Carry

  • Initiated the redesign of the Chef’s Larder
  • Delivered £2m sales through range management and product development in the frozen desserts category
  • Overall grew sales to caterer to over £1bn from a base of £800m

Career

Hornton Consulting ltd                                                                Feb 14 – to date

Working on an interim basis with FMCG food companies to advance their proposition for both B2B and B2C opportunities. Specialisms include, private label and brand development, sales leadership and marketing strategy.

Barry Callebaut                                                                                Sept 05 – Oct 13

The world’s largest manufacturer of chocolate – 4.9bn CHF 9500 employees

Positions:

Regional Marketing Manager Western Europe                      Sept 11- Oct 13

  • Working across the management matrix with stakeholders at all levels 19 Western European countries to deliver a shift in sales actions and marketing from brand led to a customer led approach

General Manager B.C. Pastry Manufacturing Iberia                       May 12 – Feb 13

  • Responsible for the P&L and day to day leadership of all aspects of high end frozen desserts business in Alicante through to its disposal from the group
  • 4 direct reports (115 staff) and matrix leadership of 6 country sales managers
  • Direct contact with Sainsbury’s and ASDA in the UK. The plant produced 6 of the core Christmas desserts for Sainsbury’s in 2012 €1.01m sales

UK Sales and Marketing Director                                                      Sept 05 – Sept11

  • Responsible for Gourmet division sales and profitability in the UK – €34.4m turnover €8.75m gross margin. Selling to HoReCa, bakery and confectioners via 8 direct reports

Booker Cash and Carry £4bn

UK’s largest Cash and Carry group £4bn turnover serving retailers and caterers

Positions:

Controller of Caterer Marketing                                                                   March 95 – Oct 04

  • Promoted and marketed all aspects of Bookers offering to caterer including brand responsibility for both Chefs larder and Malt House Vintners
  • 6 staff and £1.5m budget spend responsibility

Catering trade marketing Manager                                                               May 92 – March 95

  • Primarily focused on developing a group of four caterer only cash and carries

Booker Food Service (now 3663)                                                                  Sept 87 – May 92

Free trade and disciplined menu food distributors to the Caterer

Positions:

National Account Manager                                                                              May 88 – May 92

  • Responsible for the Whitbread account – Grew TGI business per store from £600k pa to £1.1m and introduced multi temp one drop central distribution to Whitbread Hotels

Graduate Trainee                                                                                                Sept 87 – May 88

Additional Information

Education, Qualifications & Training

  • HND Business and Finance (Dist),
  • 2012 Leadership Challenge – BC Marbach, 2008 International communication skills – BC Marbach, 2007 Negotiation skills – BC Marbach, 1998 Strategic Decisions – Ashridge, 1998 Management Development – Booker Training