Marketing Leaders Programme - Speaker Biographies 

Back to the Marketing Leaders Programme. Click on the speaker to view their biography.

Ian Armstrong
customer communications, Honda

Ian began working at Honda UK in 2003, where he led the communications team picking up awards at the British Television Advertising Awards 2006 and Advertiser of the Year 2007 at Cannes.

Ian began his career working for Britvic Soft Drinks. Following his experience in production, logistics and sales he has spent most of his career in marketing, managing brands such as Tango and Pepsi.

Ian is a member of ISBA’s TV Action Group, a Fellow of The Marketing Society, a judge of the Society awards in addition to being on the panel
of Thinkboxers TV awards and C4’s Directors Cut ads.

Alex Batchelor
chairman, The Marketing Society

Alex Batchelor has held brand and marketing leadership roles at Interbrand, Orange and Royal Mail and is the current Chairman of the Marketing Society.

Alex Batchelor began his career at Unilever, working in the UK and Austria, before joining Saatchi & Saatchi as a Planning Director. He ran Interbrand’s Brand Valuation team and then became its MD, presiding over rapid expansion. He was Vice President Global Brand at Orange as it became part of France Telecom and launched the brand in 10 countries, before becoming Marketing Director of the Royal Mail and most recently CMO at TomTom.

Hugh became chief executive of The Marketing Society in April 2003.

He began his marketing career as a Unilever trainee at Birds Eye Foods in 1967 and progressed via the Manchester Business School to Collett Dickenson Pearce in 1972. He spent the next thirty years in advertising, founding the agency Burkitt Weinreich Bryant in 1986, and retiring in 2002 as Chairman of Burkitt DDB. In 2005 he climbed Kilimanjaro to raise money for VSO projects in Tanzania.

Kerris was appointed the role of CMO at AkzoNobel Decorative Paints in January 2008 upon its takeover of ICI Paints where she had been CMO since June 2006. Prior to that, Kerris was UK Marketing Director, responsible for brands such as Dulux, Polycell, Cuprinol and Hammerite. Following a degree in Biology and a PhD in Molecular Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, Kerris began her career in 1991 with Unilever as a graduate trainee working with Quest
International before moving to Unilever’s consumer healthcare division, Unipath Ltd, where she held a number of senior marketing and management roles.

Rod launched The Branded Sport Group in 2003. Before then he worked as marketing director UK and Ireland for Nike overseeing UK and various European marketing campaigns. Previously, he worked at adidas as Head of Consumer Marketing. Rod kicked off his marketing career in Unilever where he spent 12 years working in various European and Global Marketing roles across a number of different product categories.

Ian joined Tesco in 1996, having worked previously for both Marks & Spencer and Early Learning Centre as well as working in retail consultancy. On joining Tesco, he was responsible for helping to set up the new non-food business and the Extra format. After various roles in commercial buying, he moved to marketing in 2002 and ran local marketing and brand communications before moving to UK marketing director for the store’s business in 2005. In 2007
he moved to Tesco dot com with overall responsibility for how Tesco uses the internet as a business as well as the marketing for the Grocery and Direct trading sites.

Roisin Donnelly is Corporate Marketing Director and Head of Marketing for Procter & Gamble UK and Ireland. She is responsible for marketing on all P&G brands, including the Gillette portfolio.

Her previous roles include Marketing Director for Fine Fragrance in North and South America where she launched Hugo Boss, now global market leader. Before this she was Marketing Director for Cosmetics and Fragrances for Western Europe, Eastern Europe , Middle East and Africa.

She has also led the UK and Western European haircare business launching Wash & Go and then Pantene which both achieved market leadership across UK and Europe.

Under Roisin’s leadership P&G UK& Ireland marketing organisation has won a record number of marketing awards including 10 Product of the Year awards in both 2006 and 2007. She was also recognised as FMCG Marketing Employer of the Year and elected Marketer of the Year in 2007. Roisin is passionate about innovation and has led P&G’s increased marketing in new media.

Roisin is on the Board of Cosmetic Executive Women, a fellow of the Marketing Society, a member of the Marketing Group of GB, a member of WACL and a school governor. She is also on the business committee of Glasgow University.

Obi Felten is Head of Consumer Marketing for Google EMEA, responsible for growing usage of Google’s consumer products such as Google search, Chrome, Maps and mobile through innovative marketing programmes. Most recently Obi launched a major campaign for Google Chrome in 8 European countries.

Before joining Google, Obi was Head of Multi-Channel at jewellery retailer Signet Group, where she set up and managed eCommerce and digital marketing for H.Samuel and Ernest Jones. Previously Obi worked as a strategy consultant, and at online toy start-up eToys.

Steve Langan
md Hiscox UK & group marketing director, Hiscox

Steve Langan joined Hiscox, the UK’s leading specialist insurer, in October 2005 after a global career in blue chip FMCG companies.
Responsible for Hiscox’s retail product lines across the UK, Steve has in a short time transformed a respected business into a powerful consumer franchise. Prior to joining Hiscox, Steve worked at Diageo, as managing director of the company’s Italian subsidiary, based in Turin, for three years. Steve’s experience has been with some of the world’s best-known blue chip companies and brands, including Nestle, Bass Brewers and Coca Cola. He worked at Diageo for a total of eight years.

Stephen Lehane
group hr director, Alliance Boots

Stephen’s current role as Group HR and Corporate Affairs Director at health and beauty business Alliance Boots, employs 110,000 people across the globe. Stephen was born in Ireland, but grew up in London.
After graduating from the London School of Economics and Cambridge University, he enjoyed many opportunities to work internationally and live outside the UK with companies such as Unilever, ICI, Boots, and since 2005, Alliance Boots. The main emphasis of his work has been in business transformation and organisation change.

Amanda MacKenzie
group marketing director, Aviva Plc

Amanda is the Chief Marketing Officer of Aviva plc, heading up Global Marketing and Corporate Affairs and a member of the Executive Committee.

This is the first time marketing has been an executive role at Aviva and the first time there has been a woman on the executive in its 200 year history.

Amanda has 23 years of experience in advertising and marketing, starting as a graduate trainee at WCRS, leaving DMBB to move in to marketing and then senior roles at Air Miles, BT and British Gas before joining Aviva in March of 2008.

Amanda is a Fellow of the Marketing Society, on the Board of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and is a member of the Government Strategic Marketing Advisory Board.

Jill McDonald
senior vice president and chief marketing officer, McDonalds Restaurants

Jill McDonald joined McDonald’s in 2006 as Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer UK & Northern Division. Her remit includes Marketing, Product Development, Customer Innovation, Business Strategy & Insight.

Jill holds a 1st class Business Studies degree from Brighton University & began her marketing career at Colgate Palmolive as a graduate trainee. She joined British Airways as a Brand Manager in 1990 and held a number of senior marketing positions in the UK and overseas including Global Marketing, Research, Design and Retail Business.

In June 2008 Jill was voted “Marketer of the Year” by the Marketing Society.

Michele McGrath
operating board director, Brand Learning

Michele McGrath joined Brand Learning eight years ago and in that time she has led several global marketing capability development programmes working with a broad range of clients including Aviva, PepsiCo, Hewlett Packard and SAB Miller. Before joining Brand Learning Michele spent 16 years in marketing within blue chip FMCG companies, Colgate Palmolive and PepsiCo Working in the UK and internationally, Michele has led the development of leading brands such as Colgate Toothpaste and Walkers Crisps. Michele has led the Marketing Leaders Programme for the last 3 years.

Steve Radcliffe
partner, Steve Radcliffe Associates

For over 15 years, Steve has been coaching and developing senior leaders in the fields of business, government and education. He has worked with Marketing Directors of many brands including Boots, Persil, Dulux, Fisher-Price and the BBC. Previously he has been a Marketing then Managing Director after excellent grounding at P&G and in the ad agency world. His book, Leadership Plain and Simple, is guaranteed to make you a more confident, effective leader.

Peter Rampling
head of consumer mobile, O2

Took a degree in Engineering & Business Studies. Joined BT in 1986 and did a variety of fixed Marketing roles culminating in being responsible for Consumer Acquisition and Retention. Moved into BT Wireless/Cellnet in 2000 and undertook various business and consumer marketing roles and so was a founder member of O2 when it launched.

Keith Weed
group vice president - homecare, Unilever

Keith is Unilever’s Executive Vice President for Global Home Care & Hygiene. Home Care & Hygiene is a €8 billion business covering Fabric Cleaning, Fabric Conditioning, Household Cleaning Products, Oral Care and Potable Water. He has teams in Category centres in UK, Brazil, India, China, Singapore, Italy, France, Turkey, Argentina, Indonesia and South Africa.

Previously Keith was Chairman of Lever Fabergé and Chairman of Unilever Export. He has worked for Unilever in the UK, France, the United States, and globally in a variety of general management and marketing roles.

Outside Unilever he is a Fellow of The Marketing Society, and, as an engineering graduate, is a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. He is also a non Executive Director of Sun Products Corporation and Vice Chairman and a Non Executive Director of Duchy Originals.