Let’s Get Down to Business

LIZ Darran is the chief brand and creative officer at Fortnum & Mason and lives in Remenham Hill. She has lived in Henley for six years. Liz is married to Jeremy and has two
children, Jack and Kit. Her personal interests include travel, cooking, theatre and supporting Chelsea FC.

Describe your business?

I work at Fortnum & Mason — the company was founded in London in 1707, after Queen Anne gave her footman William Fortnum permission to sell discarded candles from St James’s Palace. We’re perhaps best known for our tea, biscuits, handmade chocolates and of course our iconic wicker hampers.

How many people does it employ?

We employ around 1,000 people through the year but recruit more than 400 extra staff across our estate to support busy trading during the festive season.

What did you do before you joined the business?

I started my career in advertising and moved client-side in 2012 when I joined Sky as brand and creative director. After five years in media, I joined a US fintech business. Then in 2021 I got a call from Fortnum’s.

What was your objective in joining the business?

Fortnum’s is an incredible heritage brand and my objective is very much about being a steward for that legacy while ensuring we are relevant and available for a modern audience.

What influenced you to join the business?

The brand and the opportunity to be a part of its story. Also, the people. We’re family-owned and there is a sense of belonging I’ve rarely encountered. I also could see that the scene was incredibly vibrant and that retail post-covid was going to evolve in an incredibly exciting way.

Do you have a mentor or role model?

I’ve been incredibly lucky to have some truly inspiring leaders and managers throughout my career. I’ve learned important lessons from everyone I’ve ever worked for — good and bad.

What would you do differently if starting again?

I wouldn’t change a thing. Advertising was an amazing springboard industry and I worked with some incredible talents. When I look back on my career, I can honestly say I’ve learned from every experience, even the wrong turns and the difficult people.

How is the business doing?

We reported very strong growth this year, including an incredible year-on-year performance over our critical Christmas period. We’re seeing continued strong demand for luxury food and drink and a renewed focus on eventing and experiences at our hospitality venues.

Do you compare on a regular basis?

We look at daily, weekly, monthly and annual reporting and even hourly during our peak period.

How do you market the business?

We market across multiple channels and platforms — owned and paid — and partnerships and collaborations are a really important part of our mix.

What’s the most challenging aspect of the business?

Embracing constant change and volatility. Change management and resilience are so key to the modern retail environment.

Where is the business headed?

Our vision is to build a beautiful, sustainable, profitable business. We want to be famous for extraordinary food and drink. We think there is enormous opportunity in both our domestic and global markets.

How important are online sales and why?

Online is critical to scale the business. We don’t have a huge physical estate and that is intentional. We’ve just unlocked e-commerce trading into the EU post-Brexit which has been fraught with regulatory complexity so we’re excited to service our EU customers again.

Do you have a five-year plan?

We have a rolling five-year plan that we update and evolve annually. Things change so fast, not least our customers’ desires and appetites, so we have to listen and be prepared to adapt.

Do you have a work-life balance?

We encourage flexible and hybrid working. I work from our Piccadilly offices three or four days a week and one or two days from home.

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?

People are the most important asset any brand can have. Particularly in a business like ours which is built on expertise, innovation and service levels.

How organised are you?

Military — bordering on obsessive — so I can juggle the demands of family, career and friendships, along with some level of health and fitness.

How are you planning for retirement?

My focus is on staying healthy, fit and active for as long as is possible so I can continue to have an active life.

What can’t you do/be without every day?

The Today programme on BBC Radio 4 and podcasts.

What do you read?

I read a lot about wellbeing and sustainability, both of which will have a huge impact on our business as well as being of personal interest.

Interview by Will Hamilton,
intermediary and global marketing consultant, Hamilton Associates