Marketing Manager International Premium, Lion Nathan Australia

I joined Lion Nathan in October 2003, after a long spell at Coca-Cola in a few countries around the world. I felt I was ready for a change and Lion Nathan looked to me to be a great opportunity for many reasons. Mainly the excellent company reputation, a solid business with a focus on people and the impressive stable of top brands both Australian and International. If you are interested in the alcohol business, you really can’t overlook Lion Nathan as a key option.

My first role was as Brand Manager International Premium, managing a portfolio of brands including Beck's, Kirin, Pilsner Urquell and Boddingtons. This was a rich and fascinating role as working in the fast growing premium beer segment presented plenty of challenges and many rewards. Managing a portfolio of brands of different size and positioning allowed me contact with a variety of consumers and channels, and at the same time elevated my outlook from a focused brand perspective to a segment view. The relationship with the brand owners was another key new element of the role and gave me exposure to global brand strategies and learnings from the biggest brewers in the world.

The great thing at Lion Nathan is that you go through a continuous process of personal development and reviews. It means you have a clear career path development plan so that you can plan where you want to go, understand what you need to improve to get there and track your progress.

When the opportunity opened up early in 2006 to take the Marketing Manager International Premium position, I was ready to take on the new challenge. I am still working on the same portfolio but am now responsible for providing the strategic direction for the company in the segment and for setting the vision for the future development of the team.

I think what really sets Lion Nathan apart is the genuine passion people have for the business and the brands, and how all the employees do their bit to bring the company’s "sociable" mission to life. It's a fun and challenging place to work, in a great industry, with a good chance to learn and grow: why would you go anywhere else?