Hugh

Name
Hugh

Position
Board Advisor

Location
Wiltshire

Big Business Experience

Alpha Airports Group Plc

Royal and Sun Alliance

Small Business Experience

SAS ChamPicarde

Clarke Hooper Consulting

Summary

A background in promotional marketing and marketing communications, I moved to France where I co-founded a start-up organic fresh produce business.

The lifecycle of a start-up sharpened my business acumen rapidly requiring me to successfully pitch for funds within 6 months, recruiting clients at a pace to match production capacity which was doubling every year for the first three years and finally finding the correct team to take the company to the next level.

Fluent in written and oral French with an in-depth knowledge of the French retail and wholesale sectors and excellent contacts in French grocery industry.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Business and International Marketing – Dublin City University 1990

Institute of Sales Promotion Diploma – 1994

Key Areas of Expertise

  • Corporate and product branding
  • Product development and extensions
  • Sales development
  • Resource management
  • Change and transformation during scale-up
  • Client management and negotiations
  • Fluent written and oral French
  • In-depth knowledge of French wholesale and retail sectors
  • Excellent hi-level contacts throughout French grocery industry

Experience

During Hugh’s Marcomms years, he conceived and managed trade and consumer marketing initiatives for major brands like Coca-Cola Schweppes, Samsung, Glenfiddich and Kahlua.

Rebranded a Footsie top 250 plc and a major fintech software company and re-aligned a pub chain with its profile target market.

Having spotted a gap in the market, he conceived and launched a start-up in fresh produce in the French retail and wholesale sectors and developed its sales to €8m per annum by building an enthusiastic team and a strong corporate brand image.

Sought and achieved funding at various stages of the company’s development and coordinated the board of directors in their search for local talent to take over the day to day running of the company.

Negotiated several price increases for the base products to increase profitability and launched new high-value products to add value to every pallet shipped.

By matching sales and production capacity, reduced waste and maximized profitability throughout the year.

Developed bi-products which are sold separately to eliminate waste from over-production or spoil.

In-depth knowledge of French grocery sector and key players