Kirstie Jamieson
Sparsholt
Summary
A strategic marketing professional with a proven ability to develop and articulate clear marketing strategies aligned with business objectives. Expert in brand management, leveraging consumer insights to build strong brand identity and equity while maintaining consistency across all touchpoints. Demonstrates innovation and creativity in crafting unique marketing campaigns that resonate with consumers, regardless of budget size. Proficient in using data-driven insights to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing activities. Strong interpersonal skills enable effective cross-functional collaboration, ensuring alignment and integration of marketing efforts with overall business strategies. Operates with integrity and authenticity to inspire and lead diverse teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture. Thrives in fast-paced environments, demonstrating adaptability and resilience in response to change.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Marketing & Category Director - UK Grocery (Rowse Honey, Buckwud, Balconi & Matthew Walker brands)
Valeo Foods UK
Oxfordshire
02.2009
- Joined under first PE ownership as Marketing Manager for Rowse Honey Ltd rising to Marketing & Category Director in 2013
- First ever marketeer in the business, set up the Marketing & Category Function over time
- Member of the Grocery UK Executive leadership team responsible for brand strategy & delivery for all sales channels and total P&L
- Functional leadership & development of a team of seven
- Exec ESG Sponsor
- Business Achievements: Total division revenue grew from £72m to £180m, Ebitda £7.7m to £33m during tenure
- Successfully sold the business twice to new PE owners providing solid experience in organisational change
- Integration of Matthew Walker business acquired in 2019 to create UK Grocery division
- Key contributor to M&A assessments & due diligence
- Development of business culture and enhanced people focus
- Marketing Achievements: Rowse Brand: Doubled RSV to £62m to become the UK’s No.1 honey and the No.2 spreads brand and the largest brand in the Valeo Foods Group
- NSV grew from £36m to £55m, GM from £12.3 to £23.6m
- Tripled top of mind awareness and grew prompted awareness from 18% to 94%
- Led strategic brand review in 2009/10 resulting in full marketing mix relaunch including consumer insight driven positioning, new brand identity/packaging design & new structure, new communications including first ever TV advertising campaign in 2011 and creation of social media assets
- Identified & developed differentiated brand positioning rooted in purpose & ESG – Protecting bees & beekeepers
- The Hives for Lives scheme won a Defra business award and was shortlisted for FDF award in 2019
- Development & consistent refresh of innovation pipeline for retail, foodservice & manufacturing channels
- New product launches have contributed 25% incremental NSV & GM since 2011
- Oversight & maintenance of PPA & promotional strategy
- Protected price premium despite new competitor entry and PL price matching
- Guidelines issued annually to maximise visibility in store, profit, internal governance and to optimize the ratio between consumer & trade spend
- Secured additional A&P budget (£0.5m to £4.5m) from board with extra monies diverted to working media
- Maple Syrup Brands: Created Buckwud a new Organic Maple syrup brand delivering incremental sales of £5m RSV and £4.4m NSV which is now the No.1 Maple syrup brand
- Packaging design won a Gold DBA effectiveness award in 2013
- Leveraged Valeo Foods acquisition of Bernard (Quebec based Maple Syrup business) to create Maple Crest brand and to create portfolio approach to grow branded share of Maple Syrup
- Launched in Oct 2023 and on track to deliver £1.5m RSV p.a
- In only two retailers
- Other retailers are launching soon
- Category: Created Category vision & drivers for Spreads increasing macro space for honey & Rowse
- Honey overtook Jam to become the No 1 product segment in the category in 2013
- Using shopper insight moved Maple from the baking fixture to Spreads in all major customers
- Worked closely with SD to align customer goals and plans
- Valeo category development team consistently ranked no 1 in AGS for Spreads
- Other Brands: Balconi – Doubled NSV from £9m to £18m
- Created positioning and bespoke packaging for the UK market & drove new distribution.
Senior Brand Manager – Twinings Everyday Tea & Hot Chocolate
R Twining & Co Ltd
Hampshire
08.2003 - 01.2009
- Responsible for both the long- & short-term brand vision & strategic direction and delivery of full marketing mix
- Key Achievements: Developed new positioning, communications & promotional strategy for Twinings Everyday Tea doubling share of the mainstream tea sector, through penetration to reach £11m RSV
- Developed & delivered significant NPD, including improved environmentally packaging (£2.4m capex)
- Hot Chocolate relaunch (new proposition, new recipe, new packaging, new price, enhanced profit).
Brand Manager - Options Hot Chocolate
R Twining & Co Ltd
Hampshire
08.2003 - 05.2005
Brand Manager – Cathedral City & Davidstow
Dairy Crest Ltd
Surrey
01.2001 - 08.2003
Education
Mini MBA in Marketing -
Marketing Week with Mark Ritson
01.2021 -
BSc. (2:1) Business Administration & Management - undefined
Aston University
01.1997 - undefined
Skills
- Strategic Thinking – Ability to develop & articulate a clear marketing strategy aligned with the overall business objectives
- Brand management - Expert in using consumer insight to develop brand positioning and build strong brand identity & equity This includes maintaining brand consistency across all touchpoints and brand reputation
- Innovation & creativity – Able to bring innovative thinking and creativity to many situations including unique marketing campaigns that resonate with consumers and differentiate from competitors regardless of marketing budget size
- Resourceful & data driven – Proficient in leveraging insights from many data sources and evaluating the effectiveness of marketing activity including communications and innovation
- Cross functional collaboration – Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate with other functions and all levels inside and outside of the organisation to ensure alignment and integration of marketing activity with overall business strategies
- Leadership & Team management – Operates with integrity & authenticity to inspire & lead direct and indirect diverse teams including marketing agencies to foster a collaborative and high-performance results driven culture
- Adaptable and resilient – Thrives in a past paced environment and can react to change quickly
Professional Development
- ‘Insights’ personality profiling
- 360 feedback
- 1-2-1 coaching
- Executive team building
Timeline
Mini MBA in Marketing -
Marketing Week with Mark Ritson
01.2021 -
Marketing & Category Director - UK Grocery (Rowse Honey, Buckwud, Balconi & Matthew Walker brands)
Valeo Foods UK
02.2009
Senior Brand Manager – Twinings Everyday Tea & Hot Chocolate
R Twining & Co Ltd
08.2003 - 01.2009
Brand Manager - Options Hot Chocolate
R Twining & Co Ltd
08.2003 - 05.2005
Brand Manager – Cathedral City & Davidstow
Dairy Crest Ltd
01.2001 - 08.2003
BSc. (2:1) Business Administration & Management - undefined
Aston University
01.1997 - undefined
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