Zoe Kaill

m & s Seasonal Innovations Manager @Kinnerton Confectionery

Responsible for leading a cross-functional team to drive all Seasonal NPD (over 100 lines) for M&S confectionary• Client negotiation, presentation and constant relationship management• Management of multiple critical paths to ensure effective development and launch• Continuous market and customer insight analysis to reflect constantly changing trends in consumer buying habits and ensure the maintenance of a first-to-market approach• On-going analysis of sales data and trends to ensure adaptive promotional plans maximise profitabilityProject Management: In-depth knowledge and experience of Stage Gate process, critical path management and leading entire product development cycle.Areas of Expertise;Insight and Analysis: Briefing external resources, conducting associated research and turning analysis into insight-based strategy. Leadership: Using vision, clarity, influencing skills, problem-solving and determination to lead a cross-functional multi-sited team across design, packaging, NPD, overseas sourcing, finance, purchasing and the client team to ensure on-time and on-budget delivery.Relationship Building: Team leadership, stakeholder management, handling client’s requirements throughout the NPD process, bringing the team together to ensure smooth delivery and relationships are maintained.Creative Thinking: Using research, insight and analysis, market knowledge, competitor and comparative shopping, brainstorming, innovation pipelines, client brief and intuitive thinking to develop first-to-market seasonal ranges.Strategic Input: Understanding market and business context, competence and competition to focus the client on profitable strategic direction.