Simon Hinks FIFST

Energizer
DISC Type : I

Product Director at Ocado Retail

Fleet, England, United Kingdom

Overview

Simon Hinks is the Product Director at Ocado Retail, a seasoned procurement and food technology professional with extensive knowledge of the global food value chain. A Fellow of the Institute of Food Science & Technology, he leads teams in strategic sourcing, sustainability, and product development. Colleagues describe him as passionate and detail-focused.

Simons core interest is a lifelong fascination with food—how it is grown, processed, marketed, and consumed. This passion has taken him around the world to learn from diverse farming and processing operations, and he is happiest when learning something new from others in the industry.

His career journey has been consistently driven by a passion for food that began in his schools Home Economics class.

Personality Overview

Imaginative

Full Of Energy

Believer

They are really good at seeing what the long-term impacts of their decisions could be.  They are not always early adopters but can be pursuaded by leveraging strong relationships. Unlike C or D types, they are vocal with their opinions but not so much with their questions.

Topics They Care About

Retail Sustainability
He is the spokesperson for Ocado's sustainability initiatives, recently launching a major online reusable packaging scheme to reduce single-use plastics.
Food Value Chain
His entire career has been focused on understanding and improving the food supply chain, from farming and processing to marketing and consumption.
Own-Brand Strategy
He leads Ocado's own-brand development, focusing on delivering quality and value while expanding the product range to meet customer demand.

Media Appearances

Simon has no verified media appearances

Work History

7-2024
Product Director at Ocado Retail
3-2024 - 7-2024
Buying Director (interim) at Ocado Retail
12-2022 - 7-2024
Head of Strategic Sourcing & Partnerships at Ocado Retail
2-2022 - 12-2022
Head of Buying - Fresh Foods at Ocado Retail
9-2021 - 2-2022
Senior Buying Manager at Ocado Retail

Education

1993 - 1997
Bachelor of Science (BSc) from University of Reading
1987 - 1993
Education details unavailable from Cranbrook School

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 29 Location : Fleet, England, United Kingdom Job Level : Mid-senior Designation : Product Director at Ocado Retail
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Insights For Selling To Simon

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Use phrases like ‘people will love’, ‘massive impact’ etc.
  • Talk about their team and how your product will help them do things better and easier
  • Speak enthusiastically with energy, maintain a clear and confident tone

DONT's

  • Don’t push them to make a decision too fast, let them get comfortable first
  • Don’t be too formal, focus on building comfort and trust
  • Don’t assume a yes just because they have not said no

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Simon is

  • Relationship and rapport can play an important role, sometimes more than the other factors.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Simon

  • They will probably never say no directly, you have to make that decision yourself.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Simon move?

  • They are not the quickest decision makers, their friendly attitude could be misleading.
  • Can Simon take some risk or not?

  • They can accept limited risks, ones that they think will not impact them personally.

You And Simon

Personality Compatibility


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