Jane Clarke

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT JANE CLARKE

A commercial Customer focused manager, with 25+ years experience in Food Selection, Buying, brand development, Marketing/Brand strategy.Lifelong food enthusiast growing up on a working dairy farm, learning practical skills, cooking for family and workforce, utilising home grown produce and seasonal foraging. Commercial skills learnt on the farm.First class honours degree in food, driven to support British Farming and sourcing in my career in food buying, NPD and Brand development. Developed strategy for \"Essential Waitrose\", project managed & successfully launched as recession hit in late 00’s. Influencing at all levels including Board level to invest millions in price to support the repackaging of core lines, not compromising on quality or higher welfare ethical sourcing from dedicated producer groups and growers. My proudest Legacy brand, on the shelf with new ‘Waitrose and Partners’ corporate rebranding. Still standing for ‘quality without compromise’ offering outstanding value for money for quality and provenance. 2010 Project lead brand licensing and brand development of Duchy Originals from Waitrose, including negotiation of terms of licensing, scoping and defining brand proposition, coordinating & influencing buying teams and internal departments. Launch delivered significant donations to Prince\'s Charity Foundation and Prince\'s Countryside fund. 2020 brand donated £23mn to Charity. Strategic development in retail and hospitality concepts: first Waitrose food hall in JL Oxford Street;bespoke sourcing for regional Scottish ranges(including new abattoir, local lines and services); new Noble House pub food concepts - local ‘home meal replacements’, gastro pubs and town centre concepts; Booths - new store space and range analysis & strategy for expansion, collaborating with buyers defining customer targeted ranges; boxed meal concepts including research for Duchess Dining.Key skills -negotiating and influencing at Board Level - managing internal and external stakeholders at all levels- mining data & research to understand customer behaviour - developing brands to meet and exceed customer needsStarting a new direction after life-changing emergency surgery, am relishing a new opportunity to work in a new part of the food industry. Building on 25 year experiences in food retailing, developing & launching new brands and commercial negotiations, I am making the most of this opportunity in the Group, capitalising new learning experience and opportunities.#lifelonglearning #colloidcystsurvivor #passionateaboutBritishFoodandFarming.