Responsible for the John West business, it's strategic development and business growth across the UK and Europe. Leading the crew located in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands,

Advising global top-tier strategy firms, international investors and corporate clients on growth strategy, innovation, international expansion and organisation change management.

Accelerated Innovation for the world’s largest Global Chocolate business, with a global team of over 100 located in Europe, US, Middle East and China. My remit covered the global portfolio of $15bn RSV including Galaxy, M&Ms, Snickers, Twix, Maltesers, Mars, Bounty, Celebrations +++. Reporting to the Global Head of R&D, and with very strong connection to CMO, CFO and Global President.Strategy: Reset the Global Innovation Strategy, leveraging foresight, aligned to the long-term business ambition (with financial and non-financial goals) and re-balancing Core Innovation, Adjacent Innovation and Transformational Innovation. The team included 3 members of the Global Leadership Team.Innovation / Portfolio Management: Built strongest ever 5 year pipeline to transform the portfolio by building organisation capability for Design Thinking and defining innovation platforms for each brand. Strengthened talent in Global Design Team (covering every consumer touch point for every global brand), and Global Future Innovation Team (3-10 year time frame).Project Management / S&OP: Increased speed to market and accelerated decision making by simplifying protocols, focusing priorities and reducing resource required to scale solutions globally. Assisted the Global Leadership Team in setting the agenda for the global business, including one week each month working directly with the team in the New Jersey headquarters.

Leader of teams located across the region responsible for: Quality, Product and Pack Innovation, Process Implementation, Scientific & Regulatory Affairs, Project Management. This covered a portfolio of $1.5bn Retail Sales Value sold under the global Mars Chocolate and Petcare brands. I added responsibility for the Global Design Centre of Expertise (based out of UK), and Future Innovation R&D Team (based out of Dubai & US) for Global Chocolate Portfolio. Total team size of 90, reporting to the Regional President.R&D and Quality: A new regional microbiology laboratory was specified and built, accompanied by significant upgrade to quality capability and mindset across the region. I led teams to provide the required technical capability to support manufacturing investments of $200m across the region to produce Galaxy, Snickers and Twix products for global markets. These 3 factory start-ups set new benchmarks within the corporation for efficiency and now ship to markets across the globe.Innovation / Portfolio Management: This part of my team focused on fundamental barriers to category growth for which there were no apparent solutions. Initially focused on emerging markets (generating $80m growth), but increased scope to developed markets in later years. Major innovations included Galaxy launch in India, (with specially developed product, packaging and display solutions), and innovative distribution solutions which opened up 200,000 new points of sale in the region.Project Management / S&OP:I led the creation of a new Project Management function for the region, enabling enhanced customer service and accelerating speed to market for innovations. Key focus areas were talent, infrastructure, and leading executional excellence in the total enterprise.

Led a large, complex business through transformational change. $500m RSV (Retail Sales Value) selling in over 20 European Countries under the brands: Pedigree, Whiskas, Sheba, Cesar, Nutro, Kitekat +++. With a dedicated team of over 100 (plus another 700 located in 5 factories: Germany(2), Poland, Hungary, UK), I reported initially to the Chief Portfolio Officer and then to the Regional President. After a few months I added leadership of the European marketing team (10 people) to my scope.Strategy: After detailed initial analysis, I formed a team to define the ambition and goals for the business and set up the strategy to transform the portfolio and business model by portfolio simplification and refocussing. Continuous senior stakeholder alignment with Regional President and global brand heads was essential to optimise deployment plans.General Management / P&L / Marketing: Reshaped the P&L, improving the business model by +300bps. This was in part by driving out non-value adding costs, and partly through a major supply network change from 5 to 4 factories. The region expanded to include Central Europe in the middle of my tenure, which was completed seamlessly after great preparation. A huge part of the role was to inspire the teams in all countries to feel proud to deliver the significant changes to the business. Innovation / Portfolio Management: Refocused investment to transform decline into double digit growth on super premium portfolio, accelerating category growth. Strengthened overall product portfolio through innovation. Led cross-functional initiative to stimulate growth in total European Petcare, transforming flat or declining volumes into growth by replenishing innovation pipelines. The business exceeded growth and profit targets for final 2 years in role.

Led R&D for European Dry Petcare business ($400m Retail Sales Value), and in addition responsible for European Regulatory Affairs and the European Innovation Centre. Team of 65, reporting to the European R&D VP.Project Management: Co-architect of European business restructuring, increasing accountability, simplifying and focusing the business and breaking down functional and virtual silos.Innovation / Portfolio Management: 95% of Portfolio renewed within 2 years. Manufacture and launch of Nutro Brand in Europe (following acquisition of the US based company in 2008).R&D and Quality: Significant nutritional and product quality improvement of new product range. Upgrade to Regulatory Affairs standards. Built talent pipeline, strengthened the application of science in innovation, and created a technology roadmap for the business.

Brought in to re-establish innovation and profitable growth following a period of business change.Responsible for innovation on $400m RSV portfolio sold under brands including Pedigree, Whiskas, and Royal Canin. Direct team of 15. In addition, responsible for leading $150m Oral Care business, leveraging resources in all functions and divisions. Innovation / Portfolio Management: Transformed business performance to deliver 3 consecutive years of double digit growth.Restocked innovation pipeline, including the business unit’s first ever “$100m” product (Pedigree Dentastix) and won Product of the Year for Pedigree Joint Care nutritional supplement, plus launch of Dreamies brand – a future global winner.Project Management : Co-lead on pilot of new Mars stage-gate process (now a global standard across Mars Inc). This included resetting the business attitude to Risk Management

Reporting to European R&D Vice President, managed a major restructuring to consolidate operations from 6 European locations to a single site in Verden-Aller, Germany. Total organisation size was around 250 both before and after, but with significant changes in the transition.Strategy: Led analysis on behalf of Mars, in conjunction with Bain and Company. Defined the optimum operating model for R&D in Europe including benchmarking on scale, outsourcing, accountabilities and metrics. Project Management / S&OP: Planned and executed the deployment to ensure projects continued to be delivered through the transition. Talent Mapping and management to maintain existing expertise and acquire new capabilities. Continuous communication and engagement.

Led continuous improvement and implementation for 2 manufacturing sites in Europe (UK, Hungary). I reported to the R&D Director and had a team of 20 split across the 2 sites.Project Management: Co-architect of the first process unifying product innovation for all Mars European business segments (Food, Choc and Petcare). Initially confined to R&D activities, the scope was extended to Commercial and Supply chain. Training of 2000 employees, and then embedding into the business infrastructure. This work became the foundation for the Global Mars Inc stage-gate process standard.Manufacturing / Engineering: Introduction of Lean and Kaizen techniques to manufacturing sites, driving down non-value adding costs by 75%. R&D and Quality: Focus on consumer quality: As part of Lean introduction, a clearer definition of consumer value was required, partnering with consumers at every step from production to point of sale.

Led teams in Quality (Inbound, Factory, Outbound, Consumer), Product, Packaging and Process Development for 2 factories, shipping to 46 markets globally. Team size of 30, reporting to the Plant Director. R&D and Quality: Designed and Implemented a Quality Culture. To serve the site expansion, set up Quality Processes for everything from raw materials to distribution. Built a prolific talent pipeline, expanding the team from 11 to over 30 in the 3 years of my tenure.Manufacturing / Engineering: Startup of 2 new factories and 12 production lines. Production volume increased 3-fold in the 3 year period.

Accountable for Technical Excellence of 3 Brands. Individual contributor reporting to R&D Manager. Led all Pilot Plant activities including Safety, HACCP, budget management, facility investment, delivering small scale market test / launch volumes.R&D and Quality: Process Specification and Commissioning for new innovative production line (Jumbone).

Led development teams on bespoke electronic devices, including imaging and sonic sensors, gas chromatography and telemetry via ISDN to remote-control centres.