Baringa launches Consumer Products and Retail practice

Former Managing Director at Accenture joins as Partner to run new division

Baringa_logo_CMYK
Baringa_logo_CMYK

Baringa Partners, the specialist management consultancy, has announced the launch of a new Consumer Products and Retail practice, to be led by recently appointed Partner Koen Van Bockstaele.

The decision to add a new practice to the business comes at an exciting time of growth for Baringa. Managing Partner Adrian Bettridge commented: “We are already active in the consumer products and retail market but are now ready to build a dedicated team specifically focused on servicing this sector. The Consumer Products and Retail practice will operate alongside our existing practice areas of Energy and Resources, Financial Services and Telecoms and Media, and leverage our expertise in technological transformation, operational excellence and customer and consumer experience.”

Baringa has announced that Koen Van Bockstaele will head up the new team. Koen joins Baringa following 22 years at Accenture, where he was most recently Managing Director, Global Lead for Sales and Marketing Transformation for Consumer Goods. He brings to Baringa experience working with companies such as Unilever, SABMiller, rb, Nestle, Majestic Wines, Diageo, BAT, and P&G both in developed and emerging markets.

Adrian Bettridge added: “I’m very excited to welcome Koen to the team. He has a wealth of hands-on involvement in the consumer products and retail sector, with strong capabilities around customer, digital, analytics, and sales and marketing. And – importantly for us – it became clear through the recruitment process that Koen’s style and personality would make him a perfect cultural fit at Baringa.”

Koen Van Bockstaele commented: “I am delighted to be joining Baringa. After more than 20 years at Accenture I knew it would take something special to convince me to leave, and Baringa was it! I am looking forward to building the new Consumer Products and Retail team over the coming year and developing a set of strong business offerings for our clients.

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“The launch of Baringa’s new practice comes at a time of considerable challenge for the consumer products and retail sector. The industry is facing increasingly complex consumer expectations; greater competition both from existing and new entrants; a slowdown of growth; continuous drive for cost reduction; the new norm of constant volatility and uncertainty and digital disruptors that continue to change the rules. This makes it difficult for firms to achieve sustained profitable growth.

“At Baringa, we will help companies meet the individual consumer expectations (B2ME) and deliver growth through new markets and omni-channel operating models. Additionally, we will support our clients to drive productivity improvements and cost reductions, enable agile operating models and implement margin protection solutions. I can’t wait to get started.”

About Baringa Partners

Baringa Partners is an independent business and technology consultancy. We help businesses run more effectively, navigate industry shifts and reach new markets. We use our industry insights, ideas and pragmatism to help each client improve their business. Collaboration is central to our strategy and culture ensuring we attract the brightest and the best. And it’s why clients love working with us.

Baringa launched in 2000 and now has more than 500 staff and 50 partners across our four practice areas of Energy and Resources, Financial Services, Telecoms and Media and Consumer Products and Retail. These practices are supported by cross-sector teams focused on Strategy and Analytics, Business and Organisation Transformation, Supply Chain, Programme Delivery, Process and Operational Efficiency, Risk and Compliance, Customer Experience and Information Technology.

In 2016 Baringa was awarded Master Status by the UK’s Best Workplaces Programme recognising 10 consecutive years as a Best Workplace.

Baringa. Brighter Together.

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