Following on from 2 successful placements in Product Development, I decided that I wanted to get a bit of exposure to the commercial side of our business. Luckily for me a new area within Science and Technology function had been set up called Innovation Planning. So I put my lab coat into (temporary) retirement and moved myself down to our marketing office in London for a new life of immersing myself in everything to do with our consumers and our brands!
In essence our team is the first S&T interface with our commercial partners. We work with them as they define where there are gaps in the market and how we can compete and win in them. We then help them by scoping and advising what is possible technically for product ideas and we also plan our S&T resources to deliver these ideas.
This role is a million miles away from my last role and has really pushed me in ways I never even expected! It's been invaluable to start to get a grip on how the commercial teams work and has been a fascinating experience - I've loved learning about our consumers and understanding why they love our products so much. I have also learned a lot about the way I work and what my strengths are and can't wait to apply all that I have learned into my ongoing career.
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