? Job title: senior buyer
? Date you joined the company: 15th September 2003
? Previous employment: senior buying roles with Smalley's Cash & Carry, Somercotes; Hyperama, Nottingham and BWG
? Responsible for: all major product categories, specialising in wines, spirits, beers & tobacco
? Senior school attended: Arnold County School
? Married/single/family: married to Lynne, three sons Ben, Gareth and Andy
? Leisure time spent: long distance running (marathons a speciality), listening to all kinds of music, tasting new and interesting wines, caravanning
? Offer one piece of advice to help suppliers succeed with you: take the time to understand the wholesale and cash and carry marketplace and the needs of our customers - then ensure we can compete profitably with all other trading channels
? The best promotion currently running with our customers is: Stones Bitter PM £2.69 for 4
? My vote for the best current/recent TV advertising is: the Citroen C4 'Alive with Technology' adverts
? The best recent product launch: Magners Irish Cider
? Gripe of the month: we are frustrated by the non-availability or late delivery of stock specially ordered for negotiated promotional activity. While we accept price marking is a very effective way of ensuring competitive pricing and ongoing good value for consumers, the tobacco industry uses this promotional device far too frequently on major cigarette brands, resulting in a lot of additional work in the buying office.
Will Government proposals to ban the display of tobacco in retail premises damage the wholesale sector?
