How has your career path led you to marketing at Mondelez?
I graduated from a French business school EM LYON, where I specialised in Marketing. I developed my experience through multiple Marketing and Communication roles at L’Oreal, Siemens and Videomark, a digital agency, in exciting cities such as Paris, Madrid and Shanghai.
I started my career at Kraft Foods joining the French coffee category as an Assistant Brand Manager intern. I then decided to move to the UK with my fiancé and joined the Kraft Foods UK chocolate business as Assistant Brand Manager on Cadbury Dairy Milk tablets. I had the great opportunity to launch successful innovations such as Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo and Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations, the biggest FMCG launch in 2013! After that, I became Brand Manager on Carte Noire, a French premium coffee brand and notably launched the espresso compatible capsules.
Now I currently work for Mondelez as Senior Brand Manager on the All Year Round Chocolate Gifting portfolio. I look after the plans and strategy of several brands – Cadbury Milk Tray, Cadbury Heroes, Cadbury Roses, Toblerone and Terry’s Chocolate Orange.
Why did you choose a career in marketing?
I have always been passionate about brands – their history and heritage – and about people – where they come from, their culture, how they make decisions… Marketing gave me the opportunity to study both. I also love that Marketing requires very different qualities: being creative and intuitive, but also rigorous and fact based at the same time. You have to constantly stretch your mind!
What do you think makes a successful career in marketing?
A good Marketer is curious and open to what happens outside his or her organisation. He knows how to interpret data and doesn’t stop at the obvious. He also knows when to trust his gut, he is a consumer himself after all! I also believe that a good Marketer is a great storyteller. And like all good leaders, he surrounds himself with great people and he knows how to get the best out of them.
What do you think are the main challenges facing marketers today?
The digital revolution and the increasing amount of data available. We have access to more data than ever and we need to learn how to analyse and process it better and faster. Whilst having consumer data is essential to understanding and reaching them, Marketers need to keep the right balance between analysis and action. If you wait until you have all the data needed to back up a product launch, it probably means you are already too late.
Digital has massively disrupted how people consume, buy or review products…and I don’t think we understand it well enough. As Marketers, we should be leading the digital agenda within our companies and close the digital knowledge gap.
How do you keep up with constant stream of innovation in marketing comms?
I read through twitter feeds, industry and specialist websites, I go to talks in London and most importantly I talk to our agencies and colleagues inside and outside Mondelez. We often share great work we have seen from other brands. The Marketing Academy has given me the opportunity to meet brilliant mentors and peers, it is a great community of Marketers who are willing to make a difference and challenge themselves to do better work.
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