Me (second left) with the RB crew!

Last Sunday I ran the City 2 Surf – a 14km run (for fun!) from the city of Sydney to the iconic Bondi Beach, which this year became the world’s largest run (85,000 people took part). I ran the whole way, reaching a personal best time of 77minutes. Why would I do such a thing you ask? Running gives me a sense of achievement. It is not just about how physically fit you are, but involves mental toughness as well. It is such a great feeling when you cross that finish line and know you have reached your goal.

The sport of long-distance running can be likened (metaphorically speaking) to a career at Reckitt Benckiser. Here is how our culture and values relates to the race.

1. Continuous fast-pace: Everyone talks about the speed at which things happen here at RB, and once you get into your new role you understand why. The talent, ambition & sheer hard work of the people here allow us to get across the line first, just like I did on Sunday (ok, maybe I didn’t quite come first, but I definitely crossed the line!)

2. Passion & Motivation: just as you need passion to push yourself up that hill, the same passion is required to push your ideas & projects even further

3. Strategy & Performance: it is all about timing your run perfectly – pace yourself in the beginning and finish strong. Others will start off fast, but you will catch them later as they run out of energy. At RB, our strategies focus on targeted growth & beating the competition

4. Uphill & Downhill: The most famous hill in the City 2 Surf is Heartbreak hill. The name says it all – 1km of heart-break & hill. This is by far the toughest part of the course, but you must keep on going because if you stop, you will lose time. Being a graduate at RB, I have at times felt just as overwhelmed as I did on that hill. The graduate program is designed on a steep learning curve, but the harder you push, the quicker you will learn and reach level ground once again

5. Mental (& physical) Toughness: there is no question that running is hard. The demands on your body and the continuous voice in your head telling you to stop, but you don’t, because you have trained hard & have faith that it can be done. At RB, we work in a fast and demanding environment – a lot is expected from you, however the results & rewards are well worth it! (For example, the brand I work on, Dettol, reached its highest ever share in Australia last week!)

6. Thinking outside the body (or square): during the race, you will feel pain. It is important to let your mind take over from your body & focus on the things around you – spectators, other runners, supporters, the scenery – all while staying on track to complete that goal. At RB, thinking outside the square is key to driving growth & achieving the results we do (think recent innovations like the Dettol No Touch Handwash System, which has contributed significantly to category growth since launch)

7. Achieving Goals: Running is all about achievement – that first kilometre, the top of that hill. Achievement also defines who we are at RB, so consider if you too want to aim high to achieve your goals.

8. Tangible Results: Our performance is measured by the tangible results we see – Net Revenue, market share, new products coming to life – all of which is just as rewarding as the time on that clock when I finished my run and the medal around my neck

I have knocked off 14km, but I am still not satisfied – 21km is my next goal, stay tuned to see how I go!

Welcome to Bondi Beach!

The past 6 weeks have gone by so fast!  It’s hard to believe I just started my role as a Sales Analyst for Grocery Team here at the US headquarters in Parsippany, New Jersey.  I’ve already travelled to Vail and Dallas for sales conferences, Carlisle, Pennsylvania for a client meeting and assisted my team in creating our 2012 planning presentations.

I didn’t know what to expect from a desk job at RB, but I haven’t spent much time at my actual desk.  I have learned so much, so fast and love the excitement here.  Right off the bat I received a full week of training.  I get to interact with so many different people on a daily basis and have been exposed to facets of RB I didn’t know existed.  There are some pretty cool events planned for the following weeks and I’m pumped to start blogging and keep you all informed.  Be sure to check back next week!

One of the biggest focuses of the RB culture is career progression. The fact that everyone moves roles so often helps to keep the ideas fresh and maintain a vibrant fun working environment. Recently one of my colleagues Helen Stephenson was promoted from Senior Innovation Associate within Aircare to an Innovation Manger within Scholl & Durex. A clear idea of a career path is a must have for progression within RB, however it can sometimes feel a little daunting to know where to start in terms of mapping out your career for the next 5 years. So read on to find out how Helen planned and achieved this.

Hi Helen, Congratulations again on your promotion, this must be a very exciting time for you! Has your focus and training always been within the FMCG Industry or has your career experience so far been particularly varied?

I studied for a Masters degree in Chemistry at the University of Nottingham and started to make decisions about my career during that time. I had a variety of summer jobs, but in my third year I was successful in applying for a summer internship with ICI and found myself working within the Food Ingredient R&D group at Quest International, Holland for 3 months. I really enjoyed applying technical thinking to problems with a tangible, consumer need and this led me to have a much clearer idea about what I wanted to do following my degree – I had my sights set on R&D, particularly new product development.

Following my degree I studied for a PhD in Polymer Chemistry supported by ICI and made some great friends and connections along the way. My first full-time job was working as a Project Scientist for Critical Pharmaceuticals, a spin-out company from the University of Nottingham focusing on the development of slow-release drug delivery systems. This was a great experience in technology management; I was responsible for transferring an exciting new technology from an academic setting into a commercial business. It developed my entrepreneurship and taught me a lot about securing financial support for new ideas with the responsibility to manage risk and deliver against specific time frames.

After 2 years at Critical Pharmaceuticals I decided that I wanted to look for opportunities within a big company to gain experience in the development of products closer to the market and with global reach. This led me to Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare and I joined in 2007 as a Formulation Associate on the Nurofen brand. Nurofen is a really exciting brand to work on; I was involved with all stages of product development from concept generation through to product license submission. It was a valuable experience in understanding the Quality and Regulatory framework a consumer healthcare product must be developed within.

I then had the opportunity to make a complete change and moved to work as an Innovation Associate for Airwick. This pushed me outside my comfort zone, not only because I had to grasp a very different technical field quickly, but also a very different target consumer. I would say that Aircare is much more subjective and less functional than Healthcare; it’s important to understand the consumer’s frustrations & drivers and use these to guide technical innovation. This gives lots of opportunity for meeting and interacting with consumers, which is always great fun!

So your career so far has been particularly varied. You have been working with RB for around 3 years and held how many positions?

The Scholl & Durex Innovation Manager role will be my third position since joining RB

Which role so far has been your favourite?

That’s a difficult question, but I would say working in Aircare Innovation has been my favourite, despite also being the toughest! This role has enabled me to gain experience within a very fast paced, dynamic environment where a project can reach the shelf within 2-3 years from concept. At the Innovation end you require a strong understanding of the strategic vision for the brand and have the opportunity to really influence the future pipe-line. There is great autonomy and ownership to drive things forward and make things happen.

Have you always had a clear idea of your career path?

No, not at all. In the first stages of my career I took opportunities as they presented themselves and a set plan seemed too restrictive! What I would say is that I actively looked for opportunities at every stage to learn more about myself and develop. It was only when I joined RB that I started to realize the benefits of career planning. I have had a career plan for the last few years which maps out the responsibilities & experiences I would like to achieve moving forward, and the roles that would enable me to do this. It’s still important to keep it flexible because who knows where the next opportunity might arise, but it provides some direction and targets for me to proactively work towards my next role.

Why did RB stand out from the crowd for you?

Initially the big brands and exciting products! I wanted to be involved with making a difference for consumers. When I learnt more about the company I was impressed with the ownership and responsibility you get, not only in your day-to-day role but also in driving your career forward.

You career within RB so far has been very fast paced which fits well with our company culture and industry strategy. What do you see as the steps you took to achieve promotion from your current position to becoming a manager?

There are plenty, but these are my top 3:
- Developing a strong network and building relationships with key stakeholders
- Challenging myself to go above and beyond and then delivering
- Demonstrating the ability to lead and develop others

Do you think the step from Associate to Manager is large?

Yes, of course – it will be another steep learning curve and I’m sure there will be a few growing pains. But I’m excited by the challenge and looking forward to the extra responsibility – that’s what keeps me motivated at work!

What would be your top tip for candidates looking to apply to RB?

Be your own person and if you are motivated and driven to achieve great results through collaboration with others, RB is the place for you.

Thank you Helen, we wish you every success in your new role!

Helen demonstrates key drivers needed to succeed within RB, a personality driven by responsibility and achievement, the confidence to take real ownership of your work and someone who is always looking for the next challenge to take on. Reckitt Benckiser’s fast paced market strategy is reflected in the companies’ career progression and role movement. If you are serious about your career progression then RB is the place for you!

One of the reasons I love Aircare is the perfume! Or namely the fine fragrances cupboard .

My favorite training so far was provided by Firmenich (a fragrance house) – we got to have a go at creating our very own cologne. I was paired with Kate our fragrance manager, so may have had a slight advantage, but we won a bottle of champagne for our efforts  ! My well remembered fact from that day was smelling a compound called Ambergris, I recognized it instantly as a smell in male perfumes, this compound is the synthetic version of SPERM WHALE PUKE! Yes, you read right – Puke!

I thought I would interview our fragrance manger Kate Langley to give you a look at the diverse functions within R&D. Plus her top 3 perfume recommendations from her expert nose (now if that isn’t a reason to read on I don’t know what else is).

Hi Kate, perhaps it would help to tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

Hi Everyone, my name is Kate Langley, I am the Global Fragrance Manager at RB. I have been working at RB for 6 years.

What is your role within R&D?

As the global R&D fragrance manager it is my job to work with the R&D teams to design and develop the best fragrances for our products. Everything from how well the fragrance works with our product formulas, to creating a scent consumers will love and also working on the best fragrance names (this is really important especially in Aircare) . We have done a lot of work recently on the new Touch of Luxury range – take a look – they smell great!

What is your favorite part about your job?

I love my job, it is so varied, some of the best bits are:

1. I get to work on multiple brands which means there is always something different and exciting to work on everyday.
2. Of course …..the fragrances!!! You have to love fragrance to do this job as it is the best bit. I love the days when new fragrance submissions arrive in for us to evaluate.
3. The people, because I support multiple brands I get to work with a huge variety of people in RB

What makes RB stand out from the crowd for you?

Fast Pace, Vibrant, Exciting, Diverse, Challenging – you get give real responsibility from day one!

What AW fragrance currently on the market is your favorite and why?
Everyone has a different scent preference hence why there is such a variety of fine fragrances on the market. People choose fragrance based on what they like, memory triggers etc and everyone is different so below are a few of my favorites personally but this does not necessarily mean they are the best. Some of you may like them some of you may not – that is the great fun of fragrance!

And finally, the part every reader has been waiting for…

Top 3 Female fragrances
Angel – Thierry Mugler – This was a real game changer in the female fine fragrance industry.
Lolita Lempika – Lolita Lempika – Another Gourmand Oriental fragrance (my favorite scent direction).
A new one that I am mad about at the moment is The One – D&G – great!!
I could go on but I won’t!

Top 3 Male fragrances
Eau Savage – Christian Dior – An all time classic creation (and reminds me of my Dad!!).
Boss – Hugo Boss – Just gorgeous.
Le Male – JPG

Thankyou Kate! Now everybody can smell as nice as us ! Hopefully this goes to show that R&D is not your typical lab and specs job and your experience in this sector of the business is completely diverse.

Hello everyone and welcome to my first Blog post!

As is tradition, I thought I would use this white space to properly introduce myself and give you a tasty snippet of what’s to come. I started at RB after taking a gap year to travel, something I fully recommend to anyone considering it, you’ll make memories you’ll never forget, plus a very weighty photo album – and then there is the ‘life experience’ for your CV .

Aircare

My first placement on the graduate scheme has been for Airwick – one of RB’s powerbrands which is sold in over 60 countries. Working in category development I manage projects in an R&D capacity from development to launch. I am really enjoying the exposure to the business as this is something which was missing from my previous jobs. My days are always really varied and I can be doing anything from visiting technical design agencies to holding TCs with our suppliers in China. I have real responsibility and freedom to make decisions which will effect the company’s progression.

One of my most exciting moments so far was seeing our new Airwick campaign on TV – I even made my friend rewind it on sky so we could watch it again!

FMCG

Working in FMCG I feel a real sense of pride unlike that when I worked in other industries. Every time I walk though a supermarket I see our products everywhere and it’s a great feeling to be able to say ‘I work for the company who makes that’. As the company is so fast paced, (we bring products to market in 2-3 years) its not long before you’ll be walking through the supermarket and you can say, ‘ I managed that product – that was me’.

Hull

Location, Location, Location – Hull really isn’t as bad as people say! I really enjoy living here – apart from the ice cold sea breeze in winter – eek! There is always something going on in the city centre and you are not far from Leeds, York and Beverly for a more scenic day out – or a crazy night! You can definitely get the work/life balance right at RB.

Are you thinking about applying for the RB graduate scheme? Leave me a question – I’d love to help!