Treading Water

When Ian Radcliffe completed his studies in the UK, he decided to sign up with a familiar business entity—Sainsbury Tesco. He loved consumer packaged goods and the idea of being ‘behind the desk’ as a buyer enticed him.  He quickly learned that the appeal of such a role is not what one imagines.

One day he was perusing the job ad postings (in a newspaper—imagine that!) and came across an ad for a sales position at Procter & Gamble.  Thirty-three years later, he never looked back.

Learning How to Swim

Ian began his sales career in the UK and secured positions of increasing responsibility that garnered him a coveted role leading US Walmart stores.  From there, he moved back to Europe to lead the Laundry and Personal Healthcare businesses. This led to a General Sales Manager role, leading the UK and Ireland.  After 3+ decades, he decided to retire and began his own consulting firm, advising clients on strategy, distribution and organizational relationships.

The Masters Class

When Simpactful approached Ian, he knew it was the right fit.  He had swum with the sharks on both sides of the ocean. He understood the ins and out of retail and CPG in the US and Europe.  And most importantly, he knew Simpactful could win.

Simpactful’s Practitioner Approach leveraging both global Brand and Retailer experts is a proven model that Masters can get behind.  There’s good back-end support (data analytics and methodologies) and the relationships and connectivity provide a stable route to market.

Ian reflects about a client that wanted to bring a ‘hospital grade’ technology to retail.  While they were experts in the high-tech medical device space, they were novices when it came to retail distribution, supply chain and operations.  “We helped them find the right lane to swim in and subsequently they won the race—with distribution buttoned up and a plan for expansion”, Radcliffe recalls.

Regionals, Nationals, Olympics:

Ian is bullish on Simpactful’s expansion in Europe.  He believes the outcome is dependent upon the same principles of practice and preparation that make swimmers succeed:

  1. Bring your family to the Swim Meet: Make sure everyone knows about Simpactful’s capability in Europe
  2. Teamwork and Relays: Once proven, ask for more work and referrals.
  3. Cheer from the Stands: Shout from the rooftops about the medals you’ve won and be a leader that others want to emulate.

Swim Coach:

Ian is thankful for the experiences on ‘both sides of the desk’ as well as ‘across the pond’.  While it would be bold to go it alone, he knows that an amazing team, coached by someone with keen experience and expertise, is what will deliver the medals and recognition that comes with it for the future.

Go Team!

To learn more about how Simpactful can help you, contact the Simpactful team today at contact@simpactful.com or 925-234-6394

Visit www.simpactful.com