"Variety is part and parcel of my job at IGD, and I keep moving from one interesting project to another"

I joined IGD in 2005 as a Senior Business Analyst, having previously worked for Marks & Spencer (as a Strategic Business Planner in the Food Business Unit), as well as for leading German retailer Edeka. I am responsible for a number of areas at IGD, including our research in central and eastern Europe (CEE) and the discount retailing channel. As a result I travel extensively in CEE and am often presenting my forecasts for the region to companies who trade or would like to trade there.

Furthermore, the growth in our commissioned business means that variety is part and parcel of my job at IGD, and I keep moving from one interesting project to another. One such project consisted of mapping out IGD’s vision of the grocery industry in Russia by 2020 for a leading manufacturer which already operates successfully in the market. Future gazing is something we do daily – it’s a core part of our job and where we can add real value to companies.

In the summer I was in New York. I organised a discovery trip centred on innovation in the Big Apple for a group of 20 senior managers from a leading French retailer. Along with a colleague, we presented on key trends in the US and beyond, visited stores in the New York region, met several senior US executives and also enjoyed some sightseeing together. The idea was to find new ideas and innovative concepts to adapt to the French market in a fun and convivial way.

I couldn’t have delivered this project without our US expert Jamie Trust, and this is one of the attractions of IGD. From one project to another, you work with different IGD specialists and teamwork is essential for the successful delivery of big projects. It is also a great way to learn and share ideas about different aspects of the grocery sector.

Back from the US, I moved on onto my next project: mapping out the wholesaling market in Europe to understand how the sector is developing. Due to the extensive geographical scope of the brief, the whole team got involved. To help us do this we used IGD’s extensive network of contacts and spoke to key people who could help build our knowledge. Many phone interviews later we now have a clear grasp of the challenges ahead for this channel.

The autumn was upon us and it was time to get onto another exciting subject - how retailers and suppliers are adapting their marketing strategies. Using examples collected by the IGD team in its international travels, I prepared a tailored half-day training course which I delivered to 30 managers from a leading retailer in central and eastern Europe as part of its Talent Academy. Again, this was a great opportunity to engage with a retailer internationally and to showcase IGD’s capability.

There’s plenty to do at IGD and no two days are the same. I’m currently planning my trips for next year, and hope to be back in Poland, Russia, France and Slovenia in the first half of 2010. It’s an exciting role and one that allows me to exploit my passion for both food retail and travel.

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