Fiona Howarth Email and Phone Number

Birmingham Business Link accredited Marketing Consultant.Have worked on product development projects for supplier wishing to get into the UK retail superstores such as Mothercare, Wyevale Garden Centres.Midlands World Trade Forum - West Midlands based export organisation funded by all 6 West Mids Chambers of Commerce. Reviewed their corporate sponsorship packages to attract new sponsors to help fund work when DTI funding was removed. Passport to Export Scheme - DTI funded project to deliver export support to SME's in the Herefordshire/Worcestershire counties, to identify new hi-tech, bio-tec and ICT companies for growth funding and help West Mercia Business Link achieve Gov targets for interventions.

Responsible for £20m portfolio including Nobo & Sasco presentation products. Standardised and reduced product ranges from 3 European factories, plus cost reduced products by re-sourcing to China (25% cost reduction).I sourced, developed and launched new visual presentation range for Staples Europe as I was the retail specialist in the Business Unit. This added £2m sales to the business.

Set up the marketing department at Morane and launched new laminating products for the retail, trade and print-finishing markets across the UK and Europe.Rebranded the whole company and products with new Morane identity.Developed major export drive and organised Export Distributor Conference to reposition the company, brand and products. Launched new IDPro Identity Management Software at Laminex which took them from no position to no 2 player in this market vs Polaroid and Kalamazoo.

Responsible for the management of marketing teams across Europe (Italy, Benelux, Germany, France, Ireland) to ensure co-ordinated pan-European marketing campaigns worked. Implemented new launch and planning procedures into the companies, launched new product ranges very successfully into pan-European accounts. Total category turnover went from £19m to £25m in 2 years.

Managed 2 product managers and implement launch of new laminating range - sales target £500k, sales acheived £2.2m in first year. Took Acco (Rexel brand) from minor player to major player in UK and European laminating market. As a result we gained major pan European account listings in both retail, trade and wholesale channels.

Responsible for launch of innovative new range of office binding machines with leading external product design company in 1992 - £1m investment - £2.25m sales - gave ACCO the no 2 market position. Product range won a Consumer Design Award by the British Design Council and we ran a range of NPD workshops for the DTI as a result.