In this exclusive Sweet Talk interview, we get to know Andy Valentine, Head of Marketing, Stockley’s
What’s your go-to karaoke song after a successful pitch?
As a Mancunian I think it would be ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’… or is that just my recent experience queuing online for 6 hours unsuccessfully for tickets clouding my thinking!
If you could have dinner with any historical business leader, who would it be?
Perhaps not strictly a business leader, but any excuse to have dinner with a great leader of people, master tactician and incredibly successful in his field… Sir Alex Ferguson.
What’s one gadget you can’t live without in your workday?
Predictably it would be my Iphone.
Coffee or tea – what fuels your creative thinking?
Can’t start my workday without a strong coffee!
If you could instantly master any new skill, what would it be?
I know we are now all permanently snapping photos on our phones – but it would be very helpful to have the ability to create fantastic product shots with ease.
What’s the most unusual place you’ve ever had a business meeting?
Skywalker Ranch of all places, located North of San Francisco and the home of Lucasfilm. I had a Star Wars licensed NPD launch that was getting perilously close to missing the launch date as we were struggling to get sign off.
It ended up being a 3 day round trip for an hour’s meeting, but crucially we got product and packaging sign off and hit the launch date.
If you could work remotely from anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
A Greek island overlooking the clear blue Aegean sea would do it for me. Lunch break at the local taverna… I’m thinking positivity and energy levels would be high!
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
Test, learn and refine. Don’t procrastinate – better to get something out there even if small scale, gain feedback and refine as needed, rather than attempting to optimise infinitesimally to the point that you’ve missed the opportunity.
What’s your secret weapon for staying productive on a busy day?
Mix it up – whether that’s varying the tasks, regular short breaks or a bit of fresh air. Don’t stay staring at the screen for hours on end!
If your career were a movie, what would be the title?
MISSION POSSIBLE. I’ve worked on a variety of different brands of varying sizes, with varying budgets and different ownership types and I genuinely believe that with the right internal alignment and with a desire to make things happen it’s possible to achieve great things without massive budgets and without everything taking years!
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Hannah Larvin
Editor, International Confectionery
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