Hollie Winkworth
Surrey
Summary
Accomplished professional with expertise in commercial negotiation, joint business planning, and category management. Demonstrates proficiency in P&L ownership, revenue management, and strategic planning. Skilled in insight-led storytelling and data translation to drive growth strategies. Proven track record in range, space, and execution strategy, as well as innovation and NPD launches. Strong ability to influence stakeholders and senior leadership while fostering people leadership and talent development. Committed to leveraging skills for impactful business outcomes.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Customer Strategy & Planning Lead, Personal Care UK
Unilever
Kingston upon Thames
2024.12 - 2026.03
- Lead the Personal Care category agenda across priority UK customers, shaping customer-specific strategy to drive share, distribution, and executional excellence.
- Translate complex data and insights into clear, compelling customer narratives that influence range, space, and activation decisions.
- Develop insight-led recommendations across distribution, innovation, and promotional strategy to deliver joint value creation.
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior customer and internal stakeholders, ensuring clarity of narrative and commercial impact in all engagements.
- Partner closely with Sales, Marketing, and Category teams to align strategy, execution, and performance delivery.
- Key Impact
- Strengthened senior customer relationships through clear, insight-driven category storytelling.
- Supported delivery of share and performance ambitions across the Personal Care and Deodorants portfolio.
- Elevated the consistency and quality of CSP outputs across priority customers.
Customer Business Manager, Sainsbury’s
Unilever
2019.08 - 2024.12
- Owned the Sainsbury’s customer commercial strategy, leading a £100m+ P&L across multiple business units.
- Led senior-level relationships between Unilever and Sainsbury’s, delivering collaborative, profitable growth.
- Negotiated and landed strategic Foods First JBP agreements, including Hellmann’s Solus Branded Mayonnaise and Unilever’s first-ever +50% market share milestone in Ice Cream.
- Delivered exclusive, high-profile customer activations, including major partnerships such as EUROs 2024.
- Launch of Future Brands & Exclusives co-creating an exclusive Ice Cream proposition (Guuud). Presented as best in class creation, launch and partnership with Sainsbury’s.
- Launched NPD as a grocery exclusive for the UK (2024) creating a new category within Health and Wellness (Liquid I.V). Best in class collaboration between both companies, activation & launch.
- (Maternity Leave: May 2021 – June 2022)
- Scope: Nutrition & Ice Cream (2019–2023), Home Care, Personal Care & Beauty & Wellbeing (April 2023 – 2024)
National Account Controller, Morrisons (Personal Care & Beauty)
Unilever
2018.01 - 2018.08
- Reset and optimised investment structures to improve ROI and Gross Profit while maintaining external share performance.
- Delivered strong internal P&L growth metrics through disciplined commercial decision-making.
Senior Customer Account Manager, Tesco Grocery
Unilever
2016.05 - 2018.01
- Led fundamental investment changes within the Tea category, strengthening Unilever GP while continuing to grow underlying sales growth.
- Delivered Unilever’s first Trussell Trust on-pack exclusive across multiple Foods & Beverage brands.
- Influenced changes to internal Tesco grocery team structures and ways of working.
- Contributed to the internal project team designing and launching ABP Skills & Drills.
Senior Customer Account Manager, Asda (Spreads & Tea)
Unilever
2015.01 - 2016.05
- First Unilever category to engage in Project Renewal, outperforming total Asda performance.
- Negotiated share-winning feature plans, maintained share of shelf across the portfolio, secured key NPD listings, and delivered CPI fully and on time (April 2016).
National Account Manager, Tesco
Kraft Heinz
2014.04 - 2014.12
- Planned and executed Joint Business Plans, securing all NPD listings in the 2014/15 range review and exceeding internal distribution targets.
Category Development Manager
Lactalis
2010.08 - 2014.04
- Gained category partnership status with major retailers, leading range reviews and category analysis across five cheese categories.
- Acted as Category Champion within Asda and Waitrose.
- Supported Own Brand development across sourcing, design, and launch.
Education
BSc (Hons) - Business Management
University of Surrey
Guildford 2005.09 - 2009.05
Skills
- Commercial Negotiation & Joint Business Planning (JBP)
- Category Management & Growth Strategy
- P&L Ownership & Revenue Management
- Insight-Led Storytelling & Data Translation
- Range, Space & Execution Strategy
- Innovation & NPD Launches
- Stakeholder & Senior Leadership Influence
- People Leadership & Talent Development
- Strategic planning
Certification
- Commercial Negotiation Training – Unilever & The Gap Partnership
- Behaviours of Selling / Precision Selling
- Presenting with Passion
References
References available on request.
Personal Strengths
- Strategic, insight-led commercial thinker
- Confident influencer at senior stakeholder level
- Strong people developer and inclusive leader
- Calm, structured, and decisive under pressure
Timeline
Customer Strategy & Planning Lead, Personal Care UK
Unilever
2024.12 - 2026.03
Customer Business Manager, Sainsbury’s
Unilever
2019.08 - 2024.12
National Account Controller, Morrisons (Personal Care & Beauty)
Unilever
2018.01 - 2018.08
Senior Customer Account Manager, Tesco Grocery
Unilever
2016.05 - 2018.01
Senior Customer Account Manager, Asda (Spreads & Tea)
Unilever
2015.01 - 2016.05
National Account Manager, Tesco
Kraft Heinz
2014.04 - 2014.12
Category Development Manager
Lactalis
2010.08 - 2014.04
BSc (Hons) - Business Management
University of Surrey
2005.09 - 2009.05