Bill Smith-Coats – Head of Sales - Impulse
Bill is responsible for Managing the Impulse sales team that includes Foodservice catering, Convenience retail, Cash & Carry, Discounters and the Health channel. He is ultimately accountable for the profitable sales growth of all the customers within the Impulse channel delivering business objectives and working with our customers to add value to the category for mutual gain.
Key to Bill achieving in his role is the Impulse team performance. He has recruited and built a team around him quickly with varied experience and skill sets. This team has already started to win new business in all sectors of the Impulse channel!!
Bill’s career started with WH Smith as part of their graduate management programme, working in various roles from Retail store management, warehouse management, buying and marketing. In 1995 he got his first management role as a Retail Development Manager at WH Smith News.
Bill moved into food and drink sales in 1997 joining the largest food broker in the UK, SHS Sales & Marketing. He sold brands such as Douwe Egberts, Punjana, WKD, Highland Spring, Durex, Finish, Harpic, Cobra & Shloer to name just a few. Bill progressed from Regional account manager to Senior National account manager, managing the Convenience sector until he left the business in 2005.
Bill then joined the largest wine company in the world, Constellation Wine, as their Senior National account Manager for Convenience selling brands such as Hardy’s, Stowells, Blackthorn cider, Banrock station and Echo Falls.
Bill joined Typhoo in April 2006 as the first sales manager under the new owners, Apeejay Surrendra, as a convenience Channel Manager and has really enjoyed the last 4 ˝ years. He looks forward to the opportunity’s that await him and the impulse team in 2010/11 to make it the biggest sales year yet!!
How do you like your tea?
Made for me!! Strong, dark and the bag left in for at least 10 mins.
What's your first memory of tea?
Typhoo, now ageing into my late 30’s I clearly remember singing (as a very young child) along with the Typhoo TV advert with the Donkeys on the beach and Sue Pollard, OOH makes a lovely cuppa!!
