Meet Oliver, or Olly.
Olly Grimwood is from York so knows the impact that Nestlé, and previously Rowntree’s, had on the historic city. Having done a placement year whilst at university, Olly returned as part of the Nestlé Customer Development Scheme.
How long have you been at Nestlé?
18 months, joined Nestlé on the Customer Development Scheme in September 2017 having previously interned for Nestlé.
Tell us about the Nestlé Customer Development Scheme.
It is such a varied scheme that gave me a sound grounding of the business, its different divisions and the retail environment we operate within. Firstly, I undertook a six-month placement as a Field Sales Manager, followed by 6 months in E-Commerce. In my second year I will have spent 12 months as a Customer Business Manager, spending 6 months as a Junior Business Manager on Tesco followed by my current role looking after our Nescafé and Starbucks business in Waitrose.
Your role – tell us a little bit about what you do at the moment.
My current Business Manager role sees my looking after our Beverages portfolio in Waitrose. This role allows me to have full autonomy on the account and with the goal of protecting our leading market share & driving our business performance.
Why did you decide to work here?
As a foodie, I’ve always been interested by the FMCG market & and consumers buying habits. As a result, what could be better than working in the world’s largest nutrition, health & wellness business; surrounded by highly talented and driven people every day, on some of the world’s favourite brands.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy being able to see the impact of our Nestle’s work, whether that’s on the wider FMCG market with our work on plastics and sustainability, all the way down to on-shelf in a retailer and even kitchen the cupboards of my friends and family. To work in an organisation where I can see our product on shelf & being enjoyed daily by loyal consumers fills me with immense pride.
What’s the best experience you’ve had here so far?
The thing I’ve taken away from my first 18 months in the business is the amount I’ve learned about myself. Having undergone an insights programme in week one about how I think and behave, I’ve been able to take these learnings with me into every minute, hour and day at Nestlé. The investment in upskilling Nestlé employees on both a personal and commercial level has been fantastic and is unparalleled.
What roles at Nestlé would you like to do in the future?
One experience I would love to have at Nestle would as an Innovation Manager, working on new trends & product innovation. I love seeing and trying new products, and to be able to be involved in the process from ideation to launch would be really something I’d love to do in the future.
Tell us what happens on a great day at work.
Being impactful; whether in terms of Nestlé performance on my Waitrose account, working with our retail customers or delighting our customers. Particularly the last one, that’s the thing that creates loyalty and gives Nestlé employees a purpose. It’s not about what we do, it’s about why we do it and that will lead to another 150 years of success.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of applying for a role at Nestlé?
Apply, whether you stay at Nestlé until you retire or move onto other adventures later in your career, Nestlé is a brilliant place to start your career. Whether it’s sales, marketing, finance, supply chain, technical; as one of the biggest businesses in the world, we’re world class at all of them. There’re not many businesses that can show you how to be world class in one function, never mind cross-functionally.
Were you surprised about anything when you joined the business?
For a company as big as Nestlé, I was surprised how relaxed the work environment is. From the casual dress policy, to flexible working and the business’ focus on work-life balance. Nestlé really looks after its employees and creates a great work environment and one which my friends are envious of.
What are a few of the most important things you have learnt since joining?
Collaboration is key - if you’re unsure, ask. Chances are there’s someone who either knows the answer, has been working on something similar, or can direct you to someone else who can support.
And finally, what is your favourite Nestlé brand and why?
Nescafé as it’s such a historic & well-known brand. Not many brands can say they were taken on the first successful ascent of Mount Everest and the Apollo 11 moon landing.