Fanny ANDREA
Consumer Design Manager, Mars Petcare Australia
After a food science degree and a first experience in product development in babyfood, I started working for the Mars Petcare European the Consumer Closeness team in R&D. In my role I was responsible for the consumer understanding of products of famous petfood brands such as PEDIGREE or WHISKAS, as well as the leadership of the R&D team on innovation projects for the European market. I also took on board the area of consumer methodologies for the team.
After 3 years in the European business, I was sent on assignment to the Australian unit to implement the Consumer Driven Design approach. I am currently responsible for the training of the innovation teams: I lead consumer research for innovation projects to generate consumer insights and help R&D design the product propositions.
My career aspirations are to keep working close to the consumer, in innovation teams. I would like to eventually lead a consmer insights team.
53 contacts* Responsible for the implementation of the Consumer Driven Design approach for innovation
- train R&D, Franchise departments to the approach
- lead consumer/product understanding research for Petcare innovation projects (PEDIGREE, MY DOG, SCHMACKOS, WHISKAS)
* Lead blue sky innovation projects for Petcare : consumer insight generation, idea generation and the research to assess them
Within the European Petcare Hub, my job in R&D consists in:
- consumer understanding
i)organising and leading consumer interviews in order to understand/identify consumer needs/expectations
ii) translating these needs/expectations into product concepts and defining the key product characteristics
iii)assess the developed prototypes with consumers
- managing the R&D part of innovation projects for the European market (for the Pedigree and Whiskas brands); main interface with other departments (marketing, market research, activity management)
- identifying new methodologies to improve the innovation process and product concept development
Final internship within the Technology and Product Development team of the Steenvorde site, production site for baby milks and infant.
Different missions :
- identtifying new raw material and trialing them at kitchen level
- recipe upgrade of an existing flavoured milk with new raw material : kitchen and pilot plant trials, followed by line.
- new product development: recipe design, prototypes in the kitchen then pilot plant trials
- active participation in consumer surveys for a new product launch.