Melissa Macdonald

Experience

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  Chiquito

  Mar 2012 - Jun 2013

  Bartender
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  Hamleys of London

  Nov 2012 - Jan 2013

  Sales Assistant
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  TGI Fridays

  Jun 2013 - Jun 2014

  Bartender
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  Babcock International Group

  Jun 2014 - Sept 2014

  Logistics Summer Intern

  Development of standardised working practices across the base through the creation of working guidelines and process maps.Developed and delivered training to key individuals concerning up-and-coming software developments, new to that sector of the business.Experience working with ERP systems in a warehousing environment.Development of a management report framework based on data extrapolated from ERP system.

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  Diageo

  Sept 2015 - Jan 2022

  Project ManagementResponsible for leading the component development and commercialistion of complex high-end, luxury/prestige packaging from concepting and ideation, through to order fulfilment. Leading cross-functional teams to deliver these challenging projects, ensuring they are completed on time, in full and to cost and quality in a compliant manner. Achieving this requires strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, a strong understanding of supplier and site capabilities and ability to multi-task and work under pressure on time-critical issues.Improvement ProgramsLeading Supplier CI Workstream, working to improve product quality and expand supplier capability through trials and testing with a view to both COGS reduction and sustainability benefits.Leading Supplier Development Plan, working with a key luxury supplier to improve communication and ways of working together for our mutual benefit. Wins on this workstream have included improvement and alignment of quality expectations and documentation between supplier, packaging site and markets, resulting in vastly reduced wastage and write off of base components, bringing budgetary and sustainability benefits. Show less Liquid developer operating within the Europe region, supporting the ideation of new concepts and platforms for innovation pipeline, as well as supporting new to world liquids and leading liquid development of new flavour variants for existing brandsNotable projects include Smirnoff Cider Mandarin and Pink Grapefruit, work on Smirnoff Ice and also Smirnoff Remix.Understanding of innovation Concept to Commercialisation processWorked closely with suppliers to understand and utilise their knowledge and capabilities in order to achieve gold class liquids within target COGs.Comfortable working in ambiguity, with both an experimental and process-driven mindset in order to create liquids which are delicious and innovative as well as adhering to KPIs and legal and regulatory requirementsExperience working with cross-functionally with innovation marketing team, supply commercialisation as well as partnering with sales colleagues for on-trade sell in eventsWorld Class Bartending competition 2017 - supported bartenders liquid challenge at UK Finals.Understanding of sensory and how this can influence and impact consumer Show less Project leader of Visual Management workstream in Manufacturing Excellence programme within Bottling Hall environment. Worked to implement, embed & sustain cultural & behavioural changes through use of visual management with the aim of driving team work and performance.Tangible outputs included working in collaboration with operators in order to deliver improved Tier 1 Start of Shift meeting board, redevelopment of Tier 2 Daily Operational Review meeting boards, and development of Team Boards for weekly meetings. Show less

  • Luxury Project Manager

    Sept 2017 - Jan 2022

  • Innovation NPD Liquid Developer

    Sept 2016 - Sept 2017

  • Production Team Lead

    Mar 2016 - Sept 2016

  • ManEx Project Lead

    Sept 2015 - Mar 2016
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  Bacardi

  Jan 2022 - now

  Project Manager & Pack Developer