Amy Engelhardt,Senior Marketing Director, International at E & J Gallo comes in to speak to students
By Tanya Gubbay
Friday 3 June 2011
Students from Imperial College Business School were given some tips on winning the hearts and minds of consumers and building up brand loyalty this week, at a talk by a marketing professional from the world’s largest family-owned winery.
Amy Engelhardt, who is the Senior Marketing Director, International at E & J Gallo, was invited to the School by the marketing club, which was formed by current students keen to supplement their knowledge with an understanding of how it works in the marketplace.
The club has created a programme where high-profile speakers are invited to share their experience of marketing in major companies, while also providing students with opportunities for networking.
Tanya Gubbay caught up with Amy after her talk, to find out more about her career and her experiences in marketing.
Did you go straight into marketing after university?
No, straight after university I spent five years working at Harvard University as an administration research assistant. The original plan was to go back and get my PhD, but as it turned out, this wasn't the route for me - I found I was spending the whole time figuring out questions, but never finding the answers to them. I knew at that point that I wanted to go into the corporate world.
So you decided to do an MBA at Columbia University?
Yes, I thought this would be the best way for me to get a good grounding in business. It was actually during my first year marketing course where we were looking at consumer behaviour and creating demand for products - in fact not a million miles away from what I covered in my presentation today - that it clicked and I knew I wanted to go into this field. In fact, this wasn't an overly helpful choice at the time, since Columbia is a very finance-orientated university!
Amy Engelhardt, Senior Marketing Director, International at E & J Gallo
Was doing an MBA helpful in terms of your career choice?
Doing an MBA definitely helped me figure out what career I wanted to do and drove me towards it. Mine was a two-year programme and during the summer I worked for Schieffelin & Somerset Co. [a major American importer of premium wines and spirits.] I then decided that I wanted to go and work on the beer side. I joined Diageo and worked for them for 10 years, covering a variety of roles including Brand Manager for the USA on the Guinness brand, Marketing Controller for Europe for the beer portfolio and Global Innovation Director on Guinness and Commercial Director for Venture Markets. Five years ago I joined E & J Gallo Winery and I’m responsible for marketing strategy and execution for all markets outside the USA. This includes brands such as Carlo Rossi, Gallo Family Vineyards, and Barefoot Cellars.
What would be your top tips for any budding marketer?
When looking at potential jobs, candidates should be aware that while the big companies have the pros of rigorous training sessions, you often spend the first few years of your career not making any decisions and being a tiny cog in the wheel . I personally took the risk to go another way when deciding to work for Guinness who had no FMCG [fast moving consumer goods] reputation. I was often training on the job and in my first year I was already developing TV creative. This was the right decision for me, but it might not be for everyone - you have to be comfortable doing that.
What is the best thing about your job?
I love travelling and talking to consumers, customers and our people in different markets. It's great building an understanding of what makes them tick and what their needs and motivations are. I've been to some amazing places – Asia is a particular favourite. China, as an emerging market, is fascinating and there is so much going on. It's so big! It's impossible to say "Chinese consumers are like this...," as somebody in Shanghai is very different to those in Hong Kong who are very different to those in Beijing. It is certainly an exciting new world.
What are the challenges you've faced?
Where things become difficult is getting an organisation behind something that you can't prove. This is the hardest thing about marketing because it is more intuitive – sales people can show what they sell and finance have a record of their accounts, but the biggest strength a marketer will have, is the ability to influence when you don't have any authority over people. You have to develop this skill very early on. A critical part of my role is convincing people of the best thing to do.
Having worked in both the beer and wine markets, do you have a personal preference when deciding what to drink?
Like any consumer around the world, it depends on the occasion. Although very close to my heart (next to the Boston Red Sox) is a pint of Guinness with my mates!
-ends-
Students interested in joining the marketing club and/or attending future talks in this series should contact: ania.mirkowska@imperial.ac.uk
Imperial College Business School offers an MSc in Strategic Marketing as well as a number of MBA programmes. Further information is available at: www.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/programmes
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