The FMCG Guys

When Ross Farquhar took over the role at Little Moons, a viral TikTok moment unexpectedly catapulted the brand into the spotlight, driving a 2000% sales spike in just one week. In this episode, Ross shares how he and the team turned that overnight success into long-term brand growth — transforming a mochi novelty into an increasingly global snacking player. Drawing from a career spanning Cadbury, Diageo, agency life, and hospitality, he explains how to scale a distinctive brand through smart innovation, clear positioning, and deep consumer empathy. Tune in to hear about: How a single TikTok video led to 2000% sales growth Turning virality into lasting brand equity and retail expansion Why frozen snacking is an untapped category with huge potential Balancing brand, performance, and social strategy How innovation, trends, and shopper empathy drive growth Lessons from a career across blue-chip FMCG, agencies, and start-ups Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/   Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Founded in 1987 in New Zealand, Kathmandu is a certified B Corp (since 2019) specialising in responsibly made technical apparel and gear for travel and adventure. In this episode, we sit down with their CEO, Megan Welch, to explore her unique leadership journey and the brand’s bold push toward global expansion. From nearly two decades at Crocs to relocating to Christchurch, New Zealand, Megan shares what drew her to Kathmandu and how she’s leading the company through its transformation from a New Zealand and Australia staple to a challenger brand in global markets. Key Takeaways: Megan’s global leadership career path Kathmandu’s purpose-driven mission focused on wellbeing through the outdoors, with deep roots in sustainability. A new partnership with the New Zealand Olympic Committee is set to boost global visibility and brand recognition. The dual challenge of maintaining ANZ market leadership while positioning Kathmandu as a global challenger brand.   Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/   Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

This episode was originally aired in May 2024. Since then, Stephanie as has taken on a new role as VP Transformation at Reckitt.   Our guest is Steph Lilley, General Manager for Reckitt’s Hygiene Business Unit in their home market, the UK, and Ireland. She joins Christine and Daniel to speak about her career from a graduate program to becoming a General Manager, with some international moves in between, but always focusing on development and with a prominence of P&L roles. Tune into this conversation to hear about: Steph’s first leadership experience The learning curve when taking an international assignment in Russia The leadership style she’s developed in time Balancing being genuine with “getting results” Her experience being a woman in commercial roles Approaching diversity, equity and inclusion Leveraging Reckitt’s popular brands for societal change

Mark Jagger (former P&G, Reckitt, Sanofi) returns to The FMCG Guys for a deep dive into one of the most pressing topics in the industry today: Pricing and Revenue Growth Management. Now running his own consultancy, JAGSS, Mark shares a candid view of why pricing has become the default growth lever—and why it’s no longer sustainable. With Cristina Nicolaou co-hosting, the discussion explores how FMCG companies can unlock healthier, more resilient growth by going back to basics, sharpening execution, and embracing shopper-centric strategies. Tune in to hear about: Why pricing has become “lazy growth”—and its long-term risks for brands The real difference between pricing and revenue management How RGM can go beyond pricing and promo to uncover hidden value Mark’s take on “a-commerce” and AI’s impact on shopper behaviour The basics that still matter: distribution, pack formats, and in-store execution How retailers can be allies—not just adversaries—in protecting shopper value More Revisit Mark's prior appearence: https://www.fmcgguys.com/mark-jagger-sanofi-alain-attias-baybridgedigital/  Agentic Episodes: https://www.fmcgguys.com/?s=agent  Revenue Managment Episodes: https://www.fmcgguys.com/?s=revenue+management  Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/   Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Benoit Menard is Puma Group's Senior Regional Director Marketing Europe and a leader who’s worked across advertising, sports federations, media, and top global brands. From his early days organizing tournaments as a student to leading major campaigns at Adidas and Puma, Benoit shares how he’s built a career grounded in creativity, curiosity, and people-first leadership. We talk about how to lead marketing teams in fast-moving environments, how to stay close to culture, and why brand building still matters in a performance-driven world. Tune in to hear about: Benoit’s career path from agencies to Adidas and Puma Leading the Puma x Olympique de Marseille relaunch Why local culture is central to global brand strategy The power of trust and risk-taking in team leadership Balancing data, gut feel, and long-term thinking Why great marketers think like scouts and storytellers More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/   Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dS0N6LYRiMk  Gael Peigné, VP Strategic Marketing at Shalion, is back on the show to explore how AI—especially Large Language Models (LLMs)—is transforming the way consumers discover and buy products. We dive into the evolution of Food Service Aggregators (FSAs), the rise of autonomous agents in eCommerce, and how brands need to rethink digital visibility in a world where search is becoming conversational. From Generative Engine Optimization to the future of retail media, Gaël unpacks what brands must do to stay relevant as technology reshapes the path to purchase. Tune in to learn about: How FSAs like Deliveroo and DoorDash are evolving into multi-service platforms Why LLMs and AI agents are disrupting the shopper journey The shift from keyword-based SEO to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) How retailers and brands can prepare for agent-led commerce What structured data and AI-readability mean for product content strategy Why the future of retail media could be embedded in LLMs like ChatGPT and Amazon Rufus

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Jeff Cohen, Tech Evangelist at Amazon Ads as we discuss the key themes discussed at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Follow Jeff on LinkedIn at: http://linkedin.com/in/jeffreycohen   

Mette Lykke is the Chief Executive Officer at Food Tech Leader Too Good To Go, an app that connects 118 million consumers with local cafés, bakeries, supermarkets and restaurants to buy their surplus food. She joins the show to speak about her journey, the current waste situation,  how they are partnering with FMCGs and Groceries and how they look to make impact on 3 levels. Tune in to hear about: A career journey that encompasses consulting, selling a business and becoming a CEO Why food waste (40% of food produced) is an issue Integrating purpose and profit How they are looking to partner with manufacturers The opportunity with the data they are offering Future organic and M&A growth More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/   Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian  

In this episode, we’re joined by Claudia Calori, VP of Global Marketing for Personal Health at Philips, to talk about what it takes to be a modern marketer. From her early days at P&G to leadership roles at Heineken, Nike, and now Philips, Claudia shares how marketing has evolved—and what fundamentals still hold true. We dig into in-house vs. agency capabilities, the rise of retail media, and why trust is the foundation of strong teams. Tune in to hear about: Claudia’s path from journalism to marketing leadership What she learned at P&G, Heineken, Nike, and Philips Why brand-building still matters in a performance-driven world What to keep in-house vs. outsource in modern marketing The role of trust in building effective teams and partnerships More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/   Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

This episode was recorded live at Amazon Web Services’ Shoreditch Office in London as a part of a 5-Part series. You can also watch the episode here: https://youtu.be/DEyGVIBqp5o Daniel is joined by Michelle Williams, Data Product Owner at The Very Group, to explore how the UK’s leading digital department store is embedding GenAI into its business. Michelle shares the company’s pragmatic approach—focusing on efficiency, scalability, and real business value rather than hype. From launching an AI Guild and upskilling teams to using AWS-powered models to automate 40,000+ product descriptions, she breaks down how GenAI is helping The Very Group accelerate its digital transformation. Tune in to hear about: How The Very Group scaled GenAI from proof of concept to production Lessons from implementing AI-powered product descriptions Why data foundations and internal education were key to success The role of AWS as a collaborative innovation partner Find all the episodes of this AWS X FMCG GUYS Series HERE