Retail, Brand & Marketing Archives

Amanda Mackenzie

Amanda Mackenzie OBE is the Chief Executive of Business in the Community – The Prince’s Responsible Business Network – which aims to create healthy communities with successful business at their heart.

Previously, Amanda was a member of Aviva’s Group Executive for over 8 years as CMO and joined Aviva to change its name from Norwich Union. Amanda has over 25 years of commercial experience, including director roles at British Airways Airmiles, BT and British Gas. She is a Non-Executive Director of Lloyds Banking Group, sitting on the risk, remuneration, and responsible business committees. Formerly, she was a Non-Executive Director of Mothercare plc and sat on the audit committee for 6 years.

She was on the board of the National Youth Orchestra for 10 years and was a member of Lord Davies’ review to increase the number of women on boards. Amanda is a Life Fellow of the RSA and Fellow and former President of the Marketing Society. Prior to her current role, Amanda, on loan from Aviva, helped launch the UN’s Global Goals as Executive Advisor to Project Everyone – a Richard Curtis co-founded campaign for the UN.

Sir Ian Cheshire

Sir Ian is a member of the Board and is also Chair of Barclays Bank UK PLC.

He contributes substantial business experience to the Board, particularly in the international retail sector, from his lengthy executive career at the Kingfisher Group, as well as experience in sustainability and environmental matters – which are important to the Group’s strategy and long-term sustainable success.

Sir Ian holds strong credentials in leadership, is involved with many charitable organisations such as The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Foundation, and is highly regarded by the Government for his work with various Government departments.

Karen Hubbard

Karen Hubbard was appointed Chief Executive Officer of The Card Factory in 2016, prior to which she was Chief Operating Officer at B&M Bargains, accountable for a wide-ranging remit including IT, Operations, Logistics and Supply Chain.

Previously she served on ASDA Stores Executive Board as Executive Director for Property, Multi-Channel, and Format Development. During her time at ASDA, Karen led the Netto Acquisition and Integration project having developed a small store format. She served as the Chair for ASDA’s Women in Leadership, and also on Walmart’s Women in Leadership Council.

Prior to ASDA, she worked 18 years for BP Retail in various senior roles and in total has over 25 years’ experience in Retail at both Executive and Director Levels across a number of international markets. Karen has an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management and a Diploma in Company Direction from The Institute of Directors.

She has two daughters and lives in Harrogate where she enjoys a range of outdoor activities and travelling.

Deirdre Mahlan

As President of Diageo North America, Deirdre is responsible for the company’s largest market in terms of sales and operating profit. In this role she oversees Diageo’s US and Canadian spirits and beer businesses, which include brands such as Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Crown Royal, Ketel One, Captain Morgan, Baileys and Guinness.

Deirdre has more than 20 years of experience in the consumer goods sector in a number of senior roles, primarily in the US with Diageo and Seagram. Most recently, Deirdre served as CFO of Diageo PLC, during which time she was a member of Diageo’s Board of Directors. She is also a Non-Executive Director for Experian plc.

A native New Yorker, Deirdre holds an MBA from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree from New York University.

Allyson Stewart Allen

Allyson Stewart-Allen is a renowned advisor, author, speaker, educator and NED whose expertise in brand internationalisation is sought by leading businesses globally through her consultancy, publications, appearances and corporate education.

A Californian based in Europe for over 25 years, Allyson applies her extensive international consulting experience, MBA education with Dr. Peter Drucker, and languages (French, German) to the company she founded: International Marketing Partners.

Using its BrandTravel™ methodology, Allyson helps companies and their leaders to successfully and profitably span international and functional boundaries by giving them the tools to be more effective in a global arena. The benefits clients enjoy as a result include better localisation, increased corporate diplomacy capability and more effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Consultancy

Following her early career with blue-chip consulting firms PwC, PA Consulting Group and Hay Management Consultants, Allyson now advises Boards of Directors and corporate leaders in the services (legal, property and financial) luxury, retail, travel, hospitality, and industrial sectors to name a few. Her expertise enables them to lead across cultures, achieve marketing and business development strategies, integrate acquisitions and build their corporate diplomacy skills. Allyson has advised more than 200 businesses in 26 countries including Aegis, BAE Systems, Burberry, Cadbury, Coach, HSBC, Lufthansa, NBC Universal, SAB Miller and Shell. Detailed examples of her client projects can be found on the company’s website.

Board positions

Allyson serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the UK’s professional body for the Marketing profession, having been elected by its members in November 2017. She also serves as a Member of the Advisory Board of the National Business Awards.

Publications

Allyson is co-author of the best-selling book Working with Americans (1st Ed. 2002, 2nd Ed. 2020), the first-ever business manual exclusively about US business culture, which helps professionals improve their relationships with, and profits from, American business partners, bosses and colleagues. Notably, it is the first business book to feature at the Hay-on-Wye literary festival. Allyson is also a contributing author of The FT Handbook of Management, Win New Business and author of all 3 editions of Marketing in the USA for the UK Department for International Trade (DIT). She is also a regular columnist for Market Leader magazine.

Appearances

Allyson is an experienced and frequent commentator lending her insights to broadcast, print and digital media across the globe. Besides her 4-year slot for Sky News as The Muse of Marketing, she has appeared on several television shows including CNBC’s The Business Class and for the past four seasons of BBC’s The Apprentice. Other outlets applying her insights include BBC News, ITV News, CNN, The Financial Times, Bloomberg, USA Today, Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek and Fortune magazines.

Corporate Education

Allyson is engaged for her award-winning corporate education experience by Fortune 100 companies, and the world’s leading business schools including: Associate Fellowships at Churchill College Cambridge University; Said Business School Oxford University; London Business School; Duke Corporate Education; HEC Paris; The BRIT School; and Copenhagen Business School amongst others.

Awards

Allyson is included in The Female FTSE Report 2014: 100 Women to Watch list (Cranfield International Centre for Women Business Leaders), Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who Among Women. In addition, she is the first-ever two-time winner of the European Foundation for Management Development’s Excellence in Practice Award, recognising leadership programme innovation for those she conceived and delivered for Lufthansa (London Business School, 2009) and BAE Systems (Said Business School – Oxford University, 2012).

Speaker, judge, mentor

A frequent keynote speaker at international conferences, Allyson has appeared on the platforms of The Drucker Forum, The Conference Board, Wilton Park, Economist Conferences, Institute of Directors Conferences, British American Chamber, Marketing Society, Content Marketing Association, Retail Week, Festival of Marketing, American Marketing Association amongst others to share her BrandTravel™ and corporate diplomacy expertise.

She also serves as a judge for the National Business Awards, WeQual Awards, CBI/Amazon Growing Business Awards, PwC UK Private Business Awards, and serves as Chair of Marketing Judges for The International Business Awards and the Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Marketing Excellence Awards. She is a Mentor for the WeQual Club as well as the Mayor of London’s International Business Programme.

Education

Allyson holds a BSc degree in International Business, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, as well as an MBA from The Drucker School, Claremont Graduate University, under the direct tutelage of Dr Peter Drucker.

Associations

Fellow, Chartered Institute of Marketing; Fellow, British American Project; Member, International Women’s Forum; Member, Advisory Board, National Business Awards; Member, Advisory Board, IORMA; Member, Advisory Board, Institute for Leadership Studies – Loyola Marymount University; Senior Advisor, Business for Diplomatic Action (until end-of-mission Dec 2010).

Originally from Los Angeles, Allyson has been London-based since 1988, a UK/US dual-national and creator of Evening of Fascinating Women, a high-profile networking event for women leaders.

Yasmin Diamond

Yasmin is responsible for all global communications activity, ensuring that it supports and enables IHG’s broader strategic priorities. This includes all external and internal activity, covering both corporate and brand communications, as well as leading IHG’s Corporate Responsibility strategy and key public affairs work.

Before joining IHG, Yasmin was Director of Communications at the Home Office, where she advised the Home Secretary, Ministers, and senior officials on the strategic development of all Home Office’s communications. She was previously Director of Communications at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Head of Communications for Welfare to Work and New Deal; and Head of Marketing at the Department for Education and Skills. Before joining government communications, Yasmin was Publicity Commissioner for the BBC.

In 2011, Yasmin was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath in recognition of her career. She sits on the Board of Trustees for the British Council and the Board of the International Tourism Partnership.

Topic: Retail, Brand & Marketing