Candidate Overview
The candidate is a commercially astute Demand Planning Manager with 7+ years’ experience within FMCG and consumer food categories, specialising in demand forecasting, S&OP leadership, and cross-functional supply chain collaboration within fast-growth retail environments.
Analytical yet highly collaborative, they are known for improving demand planning discipline, strengthening S&OP governance, and implementing data-led forecasting improvements through tools such as Power BI, Excel modelling, and demand planning platforms. They bring a strong continuous improvement mindset and a proven ability to challenge commercial forecasts constructively while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.
Core Expertise
- Demand forecasting within FMCG environments
- S&OP process leadership and governance
- Forecast accuracy (DPA) performance management
- SKU-level demand analysis and bias correction
- Demand planning team leadership and development
- Power BI dashboarding and data visualisation
- Advanced Excel modelling and scenario planning
- Automation and demand planning process improvement
- Retail supply chain forecasting (UK grocery)
- Cost-to-serve and inventory optimisation alignment
Selected Career Achievements
- Improved forecast accuracy (DPA) from 71% to 86% within 12 months through structured bias analysis, improved commercial collaboration, and SKU-level root cause investigation.
- Led forecasting support for 20+ annual NPD launches, improving launch forecast accuracy by 18% through enhanced historical benchmarking and structured sales planning engagement.
- Developed Power BI forecasting dashboards integrating retailer sales-out data and internal shipment data, improving demand visibility across the supply chain and reducing manual reporting time by 40%.
- Implemented demand planning automation and template standardisation across the planning team, increasing planning productivity and enabling clearer communication across the S&OP cycle.
- Supported cost-to-serve initiatives by improving demand stability and reducing short-term forecast volatility, contributing to improved production planning efficiency and reduced stock risk.
Leadership Profile
A collaborative and analytically strong supply chain leader who combines data-driven decision making with strong commercial awareness. Known for a calm, pragmatic approach to problem-solving and for building trusted relationships across commercial and operational teams.
Ideal Next Role
The candidate is seeking a Demand Planning Manager role within a high-growth FMCG or grocery business where forecasting accuracy, S&OP discipline, and cross-functional collaboration are critical to supporting growth. They are particularly well suited to businesses expanding product portfolios, launching new products, or scaling retail distribution where robust demand planning processes and strong stakeholder alignment are essential.
Interested in learning more? Please contact Imagine Executive Solutions for a confidential discussion.