Kip Winter-Cox, Divisional Marketing Manager

With a degree in Modern Languages, Kip’s early career spanned most areas of retail – from store management, supply management and buying with a major UK retailer to International Accounts for a disposable nappy company. Her first foray into the food industry came in the mid-nineties as a Category Marketing Manager for a branded snack foods company, before joining Geest in December 1998 as a Marketing Manager for salads.

“I was attracted by the fact that Geest was just as interested in my experience (and whether I could do the job) as in pure qualifications. I also liked the idea of working in such fast-moving markets and Geest seemed to offer the opportunity for Marketing to make a real difference.”

In 1998, Geest had two UK factories making prepared leaf salads – by 2002 this had grown to five. As a Divisional Marketing Manager, Kip worked across a range of business units and markets, ensuring that market trends were identified and acted upon, and that the needs of the consumer were taken into account in all key business decisions.

In 2005 Kip took over marketing responsibility for all the group’s Cold Eat and Produce businesses, heading a team of marketers whose role is integral to the success of the business units.

“The numbers are really important, but more important is understanding what the numbers mean, and communicating this to the right audience.”

“No two days are ever the same. One day we’re presenting a major new concept to a top tier retailer, the next pitching for internal funding for a research project or co-ordinating an industry-wide PR campaign to ensure our markets continue to grow.”