UNIVERSITY: University of Kent at Canterbury: 2003-2007, BA (Hons): French and Spanish : 2.i

Post MDS Permanent Role -  Account Executive - Barfoots (International)Ltd
   
MDS  EXPERIENCE:

Project Role, Barfoots of Botley Ltd (satellite sites), Apr 09 - November 2009
Responsibilities:
-    Part 1

• Stock management
• Managing logistics of supply
• Meeting with growers & suppliers to discuss any issues
• Administrative function – processing invoices, delivery notes, etc

-    Part 2

• Embarking on a project to improve facilities at a satellite site
• Liaising with all parts of the supply chain to best manage the project
• Organising trials

-    Part 3

• Visiting growers in the supply base
• Liaising with the UK to manage expectations
• Locate points for improvement within this branch of the supply chain

Achievements:

• Experiencing three different companies and cultures within short periods of time and settling into them
• Managing relations between supplier and agent
• Working in many different areas of the supply chain some of which are outside of my normal comfort zone

Customer Analyst, Barfoots of Botley Ltd, July 08 – Apr 09

Responsibilities:

• Compiling statistics and figures for waste and sales
• Preparing presentations for customer visits and reviews
• Weekly retail audit to understand the market place activity
• Communicating to commercial team any changes in price, competitor activity, store ranging, benchmarking
• Analysis of market share data, TNS, A C Neilson
• Day to day running of accounts in absence of account managers, communicating with the customers, other suppliers
• Gap analysis – exploring and identifying gaps in the market leading to opportunities for expansion of product range

Achievements:

• Liaising with the Buyer on price negotiations
• Greater understanding of the market and Barfoots position within it
• Using analysis of data to understand product and improve management of categories

Commercial Administrator, Barfoots of Botley Ltd, April 08 - July 08
               
Responsibilities:

• Data entry of sales and waste figures, service levels and statistics
• Daily communication with suppliers and customers via phone and email
• Visiting supermarkets to understand the product in store for the customer
• Organising events and the publicity for such events, ie Cornfest, Corn van sampling
• Key projects for Account managers, changing from day to day/ week to week
• Work on presentations for customer visits

Achievements:

• Adaptability – the role has changed from the initial few weeks as some re-structuring occurred within the team. Also the adaptability has been needed due to the nature of the job, no 2 days are the same
• Greater understanding of the business and the industry in general from a new perspective of sales
• A greater understanding of the need for discretion and different approaches due to dealing with a variety of different customers on a daily basis
• IT skills – I can now use Excel and other programmes with ease and fluency
• Within the company there is the opportunity to push oneself and take on more responsibility which I have done, on occasions when account managers have been away I have liaised with the customers and other departments within the company to remedy any issues that arise

Quality control Implant, Empire World Trade (Blackmoor Orchards), Oct 07 - April 08

Responsibilities

• Acted on behalf of Empire World Trade to oversee and implement quality standards at the Blackmoor satellite site, packing UK top fruit for major multiples
• Responsible for setting and monitoring the quality standards of the apples before during and after packing, checking labels traceability, following hygiene standards and calibration of equipment.
• Resolved the day to day issues arising from the produce and liaising with the management to provide solutions acceptable to both parties. This role also presented the challenge of working on a day to day basis in one company in order to maintain the levels and standards demanded by another one.

Achievements:

• Sound base of product and quality knowledge for apples as well as the practical, and working knowledge or operating as an implant within another company.
• I have gained a basic level of understanding in Polish due to working with a predominant Polish work force and I have adapted my manner of communication to ensure that the information that needed to be conveyed was done so efficiently and effectively.
• Managed to deal with some difficult working environments due to the role I have of implant.