Richard Cole
About Richard Cole
Richard Cole is the Regional Category Director at General Mills, based in Nyon, Switzerland, and also serves as Head of Category and Shopper Insight in Uxbridge. He has extensive experience in shopper marketing and category management across multiple FMCG companies.
Regional Category Director at General Mills
Richard Cole currently serves as the Regional Category Director at General Mills, based in Nyon, Switzerland. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing category management strategies and ensuring alignment with broader company objectives. His remit includes a focus on driving category growth and maximizing market share through effective category management.
Head of Category and Shopper Insight at General Mills
In addition to his role in Nyon, Richard Cole also holds the position of Head of Category and Shopper Insight at General Mills' Uxbridge office. Here, he leads initiatives aimed at improving shopper insights and category performance. His work involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams to implement effective shopper marketing campaigns and enhance overall category growth.
Career at General Mills
Richard Cole has held multiple roles at General Mills over the years. He started as Senior Brand Manager from 2015 to 2016, before moving on to become Head of Shopper Marketing from 2014 to 2015. Prior to these roles, he served as Senior Category Manager from 2013 to 2014. His tenure at General Mills has been marked by significant contributions to category growth strategies and the successful launch of new product lines.
Previous Roles in FMCG Companies
Before joining General Mills, Richard Cole accrued extensive experience in the FMCG sector. He worked as Head of Category Management at Dyson in Malmesbury from 2011 to 2013. Prior to that, he held the role of Channel Marketing Manager at Cadbury from 2007 to 2011. He also spent significant time at Kimberly Clark, where he served as Head of UK Category Management from 2002 to 2007 and as Customer Category Manager from 2002 to 2005. Additionally, he worked at GfK Marketing Services in roles including Account Manager and Account Executive.
Educational Background
Richard Cole holds a BA (Hons) in Business Studies from Sheffield Hallam University, where he studied from 1997 to 2001. Prior to that, he completed his secondary education at Bishop's Stortford College, earning three 'A' Levels in Business Studies, Geography, and Maths. His educational background has provided a strong foundation for his career in category management and marketing.