KP Snacks is one of the UK's leading savoury snack manufacturers, producing many of the nation's best-loved brands including McCoy's, Hula Hoops, KP Nuts, Tyrrells, Butterkist and Pom-Bear. As part of the Intersnack Group, KP Snacks combines the strength of a global organisation with the agility of a business committed to innovation, sustainability and long-term growth.
With an award-winning culture and a clear ambition to grow market share across multiple channels, the business is recognised as one of the UK's leading FMCG employers.
The Brief
Having partnered with KP for a number of years, Allexo were approached to help strengthen their Category team through the appointment of three key hires:
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Category Manager – Grocery
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Category Manager – Convenience & Impulse
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Senior Category Manager – Grocery (14 month maternity cover)
The objective was to further develop the Category function by bringing in experienced Category Managers capable of partnering with major retail and convenience customers to deliver category growth through insight-led recommendations, shopper understanding and commercial influence.
The successful candidates needed to demonstrate advanced analytical capability across syndicated and retailer data sources, and the ability to translate complex insight into compelling customer recommendations. Equally important was the ability to build trusted relationships across both internal stakeholders and external customers, influencing commercial decisions that would deliver long-term growth for both KP Snacks and its retail partners.
The Process & Results
Following briefing calls with the category leadership team, Allexo leveraged our candidate network, combined with proactive headhunting and a targeted outreach campaign to engage candidates with proven experience in:
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Leading Category relationships with major UK retailers and convenience customers
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Delivering insight-led range, merchandising and promotional recommendations
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Using syndicated and retailer data to influence commercial decisions
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Partnering cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing and Commercial teams
We presented candidates who demonstrated both the technical expertise and commercial credibility required to make an immediate impact.
The interview process was collaborative and efficient, assessing candidates on their strategic thinking, analytical capability and ability to influence through category insight.
All three positions were successfully filled, with the candidates bringing experience from leading FMCG businesses, with strong retailer experience and a track record of driving category growth.
