It’s only been a few months since I moved over to Dublin, but with the welcome I’ve received, I already feel like a valued member of the team! Looking back, I’ve managed to pack a lot into the past few months, with some of the highlights including:
- Getting an introduction to the activities coming up in the forthcoming year at our 2010 commercial planning day at the fantastic Croke Park.
- Spending a day out in the field seeing what life on the front line is all about.
- Reviewing marketing strategies, advertising concepts and sales execution plans for a new product.
- Reviewing and finalising Easter 2010 plans and strategy.
- Seeing the flake manufacturing process in action and finding out how an experienced operator knows exactly how to get the best from the product.
- And of course witnessing the great hula hoop competition between the Finance Director and the Head of Manufacturing at the Great Place to work bbq!!!
Of course there is also the more routine work which isn’t quite so glamorous or exciting to get through too, such as preparing forecasts and, my particular favourite, the detailed month end reporting, which can be particularly frustrating if the numbers don’t reconcile and the B&I central reporting team are waiting!
The size of the Irish business means that it is possible to see every aspect of the company and really get an understanding of the “bigger picture”. Any one day could see me talking to the FD about the commercial performance of the business, a factory operative about his day, the head of customer operations about service levels and the impact of new delivery solutions, and then a national account manager about planograms and merchandising.
It’s the chance to get this kind of full business understanding and get involved in activities beyond the remit of the role that makes the job so exciting not to mention providing invaluable experience!
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