Rum career

Job: Global brand director, Cockspur Rum, Witney Time in job: Five years Contact: 07730 314 162 Web: www.cockspurrum.co.uk

What was your first job and what did your responsibilities include?

I started out training as a chartered accountant. It involved lots of auditing — ticking boxes mainly. I found it very hard to stay awake, so I quit after three months.

How much was in your first pay packet and what did you spend it on?

It would have been roughly £500 for the month. Anything that was left after the bank manager had claimed his share to pay off the university overdraft was probably spent on post-rugby beers.

Describe how your career developed to the present day.

I worked for Britvic soft drinks and then Grand Metropolitan International Distillers and Vintners (IDV) which became Diageo. I took the classic route from sales, to trade marketing, brands marketing and then international brands marketing.

What are the key responsibilities in your position?

I identify global rum markets and in-market distributors. We then work together on writing, executing and evaluating brand plans.

Describe a typical day I travel overseas about eight weeks a year. When not travelling abroad, I am out and about in the UK. There is very little routine, which I like, along with the drinks industry’s ‘work hard/play hard’ mentality. Like everyone else I am slave to e-mail and the phone when in the office.

Who/what have been the biggest influences on your career?

I have had a number of brilliant bosses who guided me well and who still continue to influence me.

What has been your best decision?

At IDV, when working on Smirnoff, we decided to put a spirit and mixer in a beer bottle. It seems obvious now but was revolutionary at the time. Smirnoff Mule was born and delivered £7.5m to the bottom line in nine months.

And your worst?

Cockspur sponsored former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff’s benefit year in 2006 — my worst decision was to try and keep up with him at the bar. The man has hollow legs . . .

What is the best advice you can give to someone starting out in your business?

Start at the bottom and patiently work your way up. Get as much experience as you can of all facets of the drinks industry and hopefully, one day when the decisions are yours to make, you will make well informed ones. I have seen too many people rise too fast and then not have the rounded and grounded experience to get decisions right.

What is the secret of good management?

Know what you are trying to do. Understand the actions that will get you to your goals and execute them well. Do not overcomplicate.

Do you have a good work/life balance?

Yes — there is much of my work in my social life and vice versa. Cockspur in the UK is an ‘official test match ground partner’ so last summer I was paid to watch the Ashes. I have two young daughters and, when in the UK, I can manage my own time, meaning I can be there at the start and end of the day.

What hobbies/interests do you enjoy in your spare time?

When not with the girls, I run very slowly and walk the dog! West Oxfordshire is great for dog walking.

Is there anything in business that really irritates you?

When mistakes are made for the second or third time. Many businesses have such a high turnover of people in roles that there is a lack of knowledge retention. That is when mistakes get repeated.

How do you see your company developing over the next five years?

The Cockspur brand came under the new ownership of the West Indies Rum Distillery (WIRD), in Barbados, from January 1. We plan to consolidate our position in the North American and European markets, as well as developing the small businesses already established in South Africa and Australia. I recently visited India and that market will be important to us in the future.

What has been your most satisfying moment?

This summer I saw a group of men sitting on the boundary sharing a bottle of Cockspur which they were mixing with ginger beer. Seeing your brand strategies come to life is always very satisfying.

Do you believe there is enough help and support from government and agencies for growing businesses?

There is support out there. Finding it and securing it is another thing. Cockspur UK has benefited from a four-year programme whereby EU funds have been secured via the West Indies Rum and Spirit Producers Association (WIRSPA). This means we have been able to get half of all marketing monies back, and this has allowed us to invest well ahead of sales. Cockspur has become the ninth biggest selling rum in retail as a result — not bad for a little independent brand.

What is your attitude to the environment and do you have any green policies in place?

The environment is the be all and end all. The WIRD worked with WIRSPA funds to specifically upgrade the distillery and ensure it is environmentally sound. The Barbados Prime Minister had to recently approve the plans for the laying of a pipeline under the beach adjacent to the distillery, as it is a prime turtle nesting habitat.

What is the secret of a happy workforce?

Clear objectives. Achievable goals. And flexible working hours are key.

Is there any other job you would like to have done and why?

Being a diving instructor somewhere hot. Up to the arrival of the girls my wife Eve and I dived regularly — we honeymooned diving in Micronesia which was an incredible experience.

What would you like to do when you retire?

Travel with Eve and the girls — if they let me.