Supporting Premier Foods’ entry into the Australian market

Premier Foods, one of the UK’s largest food manufacturers and the name behind household brands like Mr Kipling, made the strategic decision to build a direct presence in Australia after years of operating via third-party distributors.

Setting up operations in a new market presents significant complexity - from defining team structures to securing early retail wins. Premier Foods needed to build a local sales team from scratch, capable of growing the business while navigating unfamiliar customer landscapes.

With no existing infrastructure or brand awareness in Australia, Premier Foods engaged us to help build a team that could lay the commercial foundations, own retail relationships, and establish a long-term presence in a competitive  FMCG environment.

THE CHALLENGE:

Premier Foods needed to transition from a distributor-led model to a standalone commercial operation, requiring high-calibre sales leaders with:

• Strong FMCG commercial expertise, particularly within Coles and Woolworths.
• The ability to build a business from the ground up, working without the usual corporate infrastructure on hand in market.
• A blend of structure and entrepreneurial flair, balancing established best practices with adaptability in a start up like environment.
• A willingness to operate independently, often with UK-based reporting lines, requiring flexibility to manage time zone challenges and decision-making structures.

Premier Foods were looking for highly commercial skills, pivotal to driving early-stage growth. The challenge here was to source top talent who saw opportunity in ambiguity and could build something from the ground up.

OUR APPROACH:

We worked closely with Premier Foods to understand their global vision and the type of leaders who could translate that into local success.

Rather than advertising roles, we engaged directly with trusted candidates from our FMCG sales network people with the commercial capability, brand-building mindset, and adaptability to thrive in an early-market entry environment.

Our recruitment approach focused on:

• Understanding the unique start up corporate hybrid dynamic
  We prioritised candidates who had worked in businesses that were either new to market, in growth mode, or operating with lean teams - ensuring they were comfortable working without layers of internal support.
• Building the EVP around opportunity and influence
  We helped shape how the business and roles were positioned in-market, focusing on the scope to make a real impact, own customer relationships, and help shape the future of the Australian business.
• Iterative hiring aligned with business growth
  As the local team evolved, we partnered with Premier Foods to refine role scopes, define reporting structures, and align candidate profiles to the needs of the business at each stage.

Over time, as Premier Foods expanded, we continued to refine our search, ensuring every hire aligned with their evolving business needs and leadership structure.

RESULTS:

The team successfully built Premier Foods’ Australian commercial team, laying the foundation for future growth in the region.

Key appointments included:

• Country Manager
• National Business Managers for each main customer channel
• Category Manager
• Shopper Marketing
• Marketing Manager
• Commercial Manager

We helped Premier Foods transition from a distributor-led model to a self-sufficient, locally embedded sales operation. What started as three hires has grown into a team of ten, with many of those original placements now mentoring new talent and shaping long-term customer strategy.

The partnership continues to evolve, with ongoing support across commercial strategy, team structure, and executive search driving Premier Foods’ vision to establish a lasting footprint in the Australian market.

If you are looking to build your team - reach out to our specialists for a consultation below.