- Vanessa graduated from Exeter University in 1998 and started as a national accounts trainee at L'Oréal. Since then she has had a number of sales roles and now is Commercial Director of the Garnier/Maybelline brand.
- 1998
Graduated from Exeter University
2000
National Accounts Trainee – Garnier/Maybelline
2001
National Accounts Executive - Garnier/Maybelline
2002
National Accounts Manager - Garnier/Maybelline
2003
Senior National Accounts Manager – L'Oréal Paris
2005
National Accounts Controller – L’Oréal Paris
2007
Commercial Director – Garnier/Maybelline
Career paths
Sales Director of Garnier/Maybelline - L'Oreal
Having studied Psychology with French at Exeter University, Vanessa Palmer then took a year out travelling before applying to L’Oréal. She has been working in various sales roles for over eight years handling national accounts with companies such as Boots, Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Here she talks to Inside Careers about life in a multinational cosmetics company as Commercial Director for the Garnier/Maybelline range.
How did you get started at L’Oréal?
After I graduated I travelled and so it was not until a year later that I was on the milkround. Initially I was interested in going into a Marketing position but during one of the rounds of interviews at L’Oréal, it was suggested to me to go into account handling, which, at the time I didn’t really know much about. This really appealed and so I entered into a permanent role in sales rather than on the Management Training Scheme like most graduates, as I knew this was the area I wanted to be involved in. I therefore started as a National Account Trainee for Garnier/Maybelline in March 2000.
What is your current role?
My current role is Commercial Director of Garnier/Maybelline, which involves predominately managing the head office team. I spend a lot of time in meetings because the role of my team is to be the interface of the marketing’s objectives. I’m involved in anything that touches the commercial side of the business. Nearly all of our sales go through National Accounts and so we have regular ManCom meetings that look at decisions on things such as pricing, supply and margins. I have to then feed the decisions that were made on to those working in the sales and marketing teams.
What areas to do especially enjoy?
I love the team side. It’s absolutely fantastic. I have headed up a number of different size teams, which has been a great learning experience. I enjoy working closely with the team, managing and directing them as well as helping to motivate them and instilling the right commercial principles. It is particularly rewarding to see these skills in practice.
One of the most exciting cycles at L’Oréal are the New Product Developments (NPDs). These create a real buzz as we’re so quick to market a new product and get them on the shelves. They can create very stressful and busy times especially when decisions change and all your hard work is undone. But it’s so exciting seeing a new product, getting it presented and then immediately making the plans to go ahead with it. The process touches everybody in the business and it’s the thing everybody loves.
What, for you are the advantages of working at L’Oréal?
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