Luke Smith Email & Phone Number

Caerphilly, United Kingdom

At Visionary Food Solutions, my role as Head of Retail is to work with startups, SMEs and larger brands to build strategic plans to deliver growth and enhance the future of the business in Retail. My current responsibilities for our clients include:UK Retail Business DevelopmentChannel Entry StrategyConvenience Route To MarketIndependants & Premium Retail RealtionshipsRetail Account ManagementVisionary Food Solutions are an agile, experienced and enthusiastic team of food professionals ready to drive businesses forward. We have a strong mix of experienced professionals in our Retail Division. Please feel free to get in touch - luke@visionarygroupltd.com or simply send me a message on LinkedIn.www.visionaryfoodsolutions.co.uk |

Caerphilly, United Kingdom

We support start-ups, SMEs and larger brands in the FMCG Industry. We have a strong mix of experienced professionals ready to help you grow and experience success within the FMCG Industry. For More information, check out - www.visionarybusinessbuilders.co.uk

Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

We support start-ups, SMEs and larger brands in the FMCG Industry. We have a strong mix of experienced professionals ready to help you grow and experience success within the FMCG Industry.

London, United Kingdom

Within this project, I was the direct link between the Manufacturer and Retailer, overseeing one of the largest meals areas in M&S to a turnover of c£150m pa. The role was working with Buyers and Supply Chain to ensure the correct demand was driven at store level, by SKU, by day, whilst minimising waste and maximising availability. On completion of the project, we had successfully saved £8m pa, through waste and availability in the supply chain and worked with Retailers and Manufacturers in new ways of working, particularly new tools and systems to identify the root causes and speed up the critical decision process.

With a portfolio of £15m, focusing upon the developing Export Market and working with the Welsh Development Agency (Export), I successfully created opportunity for the organisation to enter new countries, supported by the WDA. My portfolio increased to over £75m, with direct responsibility for customer and retailers aligned to the UK and International markets. Reporting directly into the board via the Head of UK Sales, my main day to day focus was building strategic relationships and delivering plans tailored to each retailer’s market objectives, through joint market analysis, in order to deliver growth to both parties. My role required innovation to reduce costs, create opportunity, manage budgets and monitor the competitive markets. This gave me the opportunity to implement new strategies, whilst working with various stakeholders, including the abattoirs, new product team and in store teams, to evaluate a realistic strategy that could be implemented. This process was the key driver in successfully winning new and retaining existing business, particularly in the competitive nature of the Food Industry.

Newport, United Kingdom

As M&S & ALDI Commercial Executive, I was tasked with understanding and driving the full P&L management of a key Category, supported by the Commercial Controller to whom I reported to. The interface between customer and businessManage effective communication to NPD, Innovation & Category Management TeamsCoordinate and facilitate key meetings with the customerWorking jointly with the NPD team to attend panels, prepare product benchmarks, costings and new product justifications.To ensure all NPD proposed to the customer is relevant, market leading and exceeds customer and consumer expectations.To ensure that development protects and enhances the product portfolio for both parties.Responsibility for driving “contribution to profit” across your Category and ensuring positive wider impact of commercial decisionsIdentify and drive implementation of VO initiatives to lower costs.Responsible for influencing customer and internal business stakeholders to buy into Category Plan and implement initiatives to grow market share.Ensure that a robust commercial forecast is maintained to reflect current trading and conditionsCarry out and produce all reporting requirements, maintaining and updating the necessary spreadsheets and databases as required.Contribute to site S&OP process and work closely with Supply Chain team to plan events, launches and key promotions.Carry out project work as required to further develop the Strategic Partnership with Customers and to improve Site and Divisional processes