Robert Soth – Sales

Sales Development Manager & Category Management Manager

My role involves working in two paths. The first is Sales Development where I work with the External Sales Force that represents our stores. The other is Category Management, which is more analytically focused and involves category strategies at store level.

I’ve been with Kellogg’s for 6 years and have worked in the UK for almost a year. Graduating in Montreal, I started in Business Development, then decided to do my MBA in Toronto. After that I was recruited by Procter & Gamble into Field Sales and worked my way through Account Management and Trade Marketing. Then I moved to the Sales Department at Kellogg’s where I worked for various customers and channels in Canada. Finally I moved to the UK to take my current position. I enjoy my role here, but I do wish there was a bit more sun!

My experience in Canada gave me a lot of exposure to field sales at Kellogg’s and I’m now part of a European taskforce focused on identifying and sharing best practices. This has taught me a lot and has helped me to make several European contacts. The culture is great, very consistent and the Kellogg’s values always shine through. The values are equally valuable for new staff as they are for existing staff and nothing is lost in translation wherever you are. The values capture the essence of Kellogg’s and are reflective of who we are. We really live them. And people gravitate towards that and appreciate it.

We’ve always been conscious of the offers we give to consumers and what I find very interesting is that we’re well aligned right now with trends around low fat diets and healthy eating. It’s nice to be part of an organisation that offers healthy options to consumers. It’s something we’ve done from the beginning and it continues to be a focus for us.

There is plenty of spirit in the company and we do lots to build a strong teamworking ethic. It’s very people oriented here. There’s a family-like atmosphere with people at the centre. We work hard and are rewarded well. People outside Kellogg’s have the perception that it’s a big behemoth institution. But when you get down to brass tacks it’s not at all. It’s a relatively small and lean organisation.

At Kellogg’s we’re a food company that’s focused on one thing – giving people a good start to the day - and that’s what we do. Which creates a really interesting environment because from that focus there comes a lot of expertise and a lot of genuine ownership.

Kellogg’s is a phenomenal thing to be part of – this is a global company with lots of opportunities and a fantastic environment. The culture here is very much focused on the people. It always has been. Mr Kellogg said at the very beginning, “I know where I’ll invest all my money, I’ll invest it in my people” and that remains true today. We know our people are a very important asset to the company.