Experience

The Silk Initiative

• China
• Business Consulting and Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Founder & CEO

  • Jan 2015 - Present

  I’m the founder and CEO of The Silk Initiative (TSI), an insights-driven brand consultancy giving packaged food and beverage brands the strategic direction they need to understand, enter and prosper within the Chinese market. Armed with the perfect combination of insight, strategy, innovation, and design, we pride ourselves in bridging the gap between your brand and your consumers in China. By leveraging our expertise in the food and beverage industry to dispel the mysteries of the Chinese consumer, we’re here to ensure that your brand will thrive. We provide brand strategy consulting from determining new market opportunities and positioning strategy, brand development, product innovation, pack design, launch agency selection, launch preparation and in-market monitoring. Our expert team works closely with our client partners across all marketing 6Ps (proposition, product, pack, pricing, placement, and promotion). Our clients include Campbell’s, PepsiCo, Unilever, General Mills, Pizza Hut, Arla, Tyson, Mars Wrigley, Vita Coco and McCain All of our brand strategies are based on extensive consumer understanding, using world-class research techniques by our expert team based in Shanghai and the United States. So get in touch at andrew@thesilkinitiative.com and let’s talk about how we can take your brand further, together.



MMR Research

• United Kingdom
• Market Research
• 300 - 400 Employee

• Managing Director (China)

  • Sep 2013 - Dec 2014

  MMR Research Worldwide was part of the MMR Group and was the largest independently owned research agency in the UK with offices across the globe. As global leaders in consumer research, MMR had a sensory approach to branding to uncover the deeper meaning consumers attach to brands, packs and products. In my role as Managing Director I managed MMR’s China business from the company’s Shanghai office, overseeing and driving the the expansion of the brand profile in Asia. I held a focus on clients and talent pool development; connecting global accounts to the region, building and strengthening relationships through value added services and expanding the team in size and broadening skill sets to strategically engage clients.



Synovate (later became Ipsos)

• Executive Director (Innovation Research)

  • Sep 2010 - Jun 2013

  Ipsos was a global market research and consultancy firm that delivered information and analysis to clients to enable them to make smarter decisions. Recruited from New York to China, I managed and ensured continued business growth for the company’s largest clients in the region while holding responsibility for 30 consultants and $6.5M in revenue. I restructured key account teams to be more strategically focused by enabling them to contextualize insights which translated into real client outcomes. I transformed relationships across all accounts which stabilized services, strengthened client rapport and continued business of which enabled unprecedented success for both client and business targets.



Nielsen

• United States
• Technology, Information and Media
• 700 & Above Employee

• Vice President, Customized Research

  • Sep 2008 - Sep 2010

  The Nielsen Company was a global information and information company that provided market research, insights and data on consumers and markets worldwide. My team was charged with helping solve some of the most complex client problems surrounding brand, product, packaging, pricing and retail strategies for consumer goods manufacturers such as Kraft, PepsiCo, Heinz, Delmonte, Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Colgate. As part of the leadership team, I oversaw and managed business integration of various Neilson service teams and established several cross-functional business partnerships, providing an increase in new business.



GfK - An NIQ Company

• Germany
• IT Services and IT Consulting
• 700 & Above Employee

• Vice President, New Business Client Services

  • Sep 2006 - Sep 2008

  GfK provided marketing research and consulting services for business around the globe to help them make better fact-based decisions. I established and held responsibility for several new key accounts to rapidly expand my divisions footprint, these accounts included J&J, Colgate, Delmote, Heinz and General Mills.I created bespoke research design for various client business problems surrounding brand building and product development needs, providing data driven solutions on market sizing and segmentation, brand extendability and ideation to concept to new product evaluation.



Market Tools (later Metrix Lab)

• Account Director

  • Nov 2003 - Sep 2006

  Market Tools (now MetrixLab) was a US headquartered technology and research insights company who pioneered online idea, concept and product evaluation research. I established their Sydney, Australia office to service General Mills, Nestle and J&J and then transitioned to the New York office in Sept 2005. Market Tools (now MetrixLab) was a US headquartered technology and research insights company who pioneered online idea, concept and product evaluation research. I established their Sydney, Australia office to service General Mills, Nestle and J&J and then transitioned to the New York office in Sept 2005.



Independent Consultant

• Gaming Industry Consultant

  • May 2003 - Nov 2003

  Worked as a freelance consultant with the Venetian and Las Vegas Sands casino groups to pioneer industry research around visitor/player understanding, casino/hotel needs (including interior design evaluation), member services, slot machine/game evaluation. Worked as a freelance consultant with the Venetian and Las Vegas Sands casino groups to pioneer industry research around visitor/player understanding, casino/hotel needs (including interior design evaluation), member services, slot machine/game evaluation.



Insights by Kantar

• United Kingdom
• Market Research
• 700 & Above Employee

• Senior Research Manager

  • Feb 2000 - May 2003

  Designed and led market entry and exploration, segmentation, brand, product and pricing studies for several FMCG manufacturers such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Mars, Cadbury, Danone. Designed and led market entry and exploration, segmentation, brand, product and pricing studies for several FMCG manufacturers such as KFC, Pizza Hut, Mars, Cadbury, Danone.



McCain Foods

• Canada
• Food and Beverage Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Brand Manager

  • Nov 1998 - Feb 2000



Oztrak Australia

• Marketing Manager

  • Nov 1996 - Jan 1998