Stories about working at Cadbury Schweppes

This book began life as a question: What's the best way to give managers the big picture of working at Cadbury Schweppes? We wanted everyone pursuing or considering a management career with us to gain a real sense of the place - what it's like, what's expected of them and what they can expect in return. So we put our heads and hearts together to see what we could create.

Before long, we zeroed in on something memorable and magical. Something people love. Something Cadbury Schweppes has aplenty. Stories.

Inside this book, you'll find stories about being part of our world, about making a difference, about growing with us, about gaining from our success, about being yourself - all kinds of stories about making more of yourself by working together well at Cadbury Schweppes.

If you are one of our managers around the world, we hope these stories paint a vivid picture of the opportunities, challenges and rewards open to you. If you are thinking of joining us, we hope they help you decide whether or not Cadbury Schweppes is the place for you.

We work together to create brands people love. That first gulp of Snapple on a hot summer's day, that crumbliest flakiest Flake on the way home from work - what we do peppers people's lives with moments of delight. We love our brands and we love working together to create them. So how do we go about doing it? Above all, by recruiting great people and continuously improving their creativity, capabilities and commitment.

We believe wholeheartedly that the way to create brands people love is through our people. It’s their passion, dedication and drive that makes all the difference to our success in the increasingly competitive world of confectionery and soft drinks. Our people are highly committed to their work and we look for the same level of commitment in the people we take on.

We have a highly collaborative way of working. It’s one of the things people say they like best about working at Cadbury Schweppes. Collaboration speeds up knowledge sharing, learning and the spread of ideas. It cuts down on duplicated effort. It stimulates innovation. It opens the way for faster responses and better – often surprising - results. And it’s fun. Whichever way you look at it, it’s a winner. Which is why we do everything we can to promote collaboration, not just within local teams but across functions and countries.

New employees say they feel at home right from the start at Cadbury Schweppes, and they soon build firm friendships here. It’s a reflection of the strong family feel that runs throughout our company. A warm welcome and a genuine interest in you as an individual are part of the way we work round here.

We have always believed that good values and good business go hand in hand. It is part of our heritage and very much the way we do things today. It is also one of the main reasons why so many of our people feel so passionate about working for us. Caring for the environment, committing to human rights and ethical trading, encouraging employees and actively contributing to the communities we live and work in are all fundamental parts of the way we do business.

Angel’s story

After my MBA I joined the family business in Spain, Industrias Dulciora. It was growing fast and there were lots of opportunities to put my skills to work in all parts of the business. In 1994 Cadbury Schweppes acquired the company. That was my chance to move to the UK. After working in the UK at head office and Trebor Bassett, I moved back to Spain in 1998 as Finance & IT Director of Cadbury Dulciora. In 2000 I also took over responsibility for Procurement, and in 2001 added Operations. I don’t like to say no to any opportunity - I always think it’s good to have as much experience as possible in as many areas as possible.

In June 2002 I became Finance Director - Commercial of Cadbury Schweppes European Beverages. I remember the very first meeting I had in CSEB. We set up the objectives of the meeting and the last objective was to have fun - OK we have to work hard but also we are going to try to have fun at the same time. So I think there is a very good atmosphere. People are quite open - everybody is able to contribute, to say what they think about how to improve things.

Working for Cadbury Schweppes makes you feel that you belong to a much bigger part of the world. Before, it was just working for a Spanish company. Now I am part of a company that is everywhere in the world. There is a lot of knowledge all around the Group. We’ve got many people who know a lot about manufacturing, distribution, sales...I’ve been able to use that knowledge and therefore I’ve improved both from a professional and a personal point of view.

You always hear in big companies that people are important. Sometimes when you listen to these things you feel OK this is just words, but I think in Cadbury Schweppes that is reality. They pay a lot of attention to developing people, to making sure people have the right capabilities to perform their job. The good thing about Cadbury Schweppes is they have the resources to make this possible.

The other very good thing about Cadbury Schweppes is that at the end of the day we are working with products that people like. I’m thinking of my children and friends - everybody likes sweets, everybody likes soft drinks. We are working with something which is tangible, that we can eat, we can smell, we can touch...I think that’s great.

Finance Director - Commercial, Cadbury Schweppes European Beverages, UK

[Angel’s career path]

Management assistant, Industrias Dulciora, Spain (1990).....Finance Planning Manager, Cadbury Dulciora, Spain (1994).....Internal Auditor & Financial Analyst, Cadbury Schweppes Group, UK (1995).....Product Manager, Trebor Bassett, UK (1996).....Finance & IT Director, Cadbury Dulciora, Spain (1998).....Finance, IT & Procurement Director, Cadbury Dulciora (2000).....Finance, IT, Procurement & Operations Director, Cadbury Dulciora (2001).....Finance Director - Commercial, Cadbury Schweppes European Beverages (2002)

Make a difference

We're working on increasing our innovation, on becoming more dynamic, on improving our processes, on getting more from our business by sharing best practice across the company. We encourage and expect you to make a difference in driving these changes through.

These changes are must-dos. We work in highly competitive markets around the world. Our rivals are out there working on improving their processes, on dreaming up and delivering better ways to delight their consumers - we must be better than them in every aspect of our business. And that's down to you and your colleagues.

We give you the freedom to use your initiative and the space to leave your mark. We combine this with real responsibilities not only for what you do but also for how you do it.

As a manager, you are expected to improve the processes you work on - ideas about how to do things differently are welcomed. When you're managing a team, you'll be responsible for improving performance year on year as well as for the coaching, development and support of your team members.

Whether you're a fresh recruit or a seasoned Cadbury Schweppeser, you'll be expected to make a difference in an accountable, adaptable and aggressive way. These are our 3As - the foundation for the behaviour of all our people. Add assertive, motivating, mature, forward thinking and international and you have our Leadership Imperatives for all our managers.

People who do well at Cadbury Schweppes tend to share the qualities and spirit of good entrepreneurs: lots of drive to make things happen, credibility to influence people, a habit of making sound decisions, a knack for turning ideas into money. They are naturals at spotting and making the most of opportunities.

I joined Mott’s in January 2000 as the VP of Materials & Supplier Development. I was looking to move from a very large corporation to a smaller business unit. I was attracted to the fact that I’d be very close to the top of the house in terms of exposure and visibility so the opportunity to make contributions and have them noticed would definitely be there.

My accountability was for the procurement of all the direct materials that go into making Mott’s products. We generated several savings projects that delivered tremendous value to the company. For example we did a make-versus-buy analysis for our preform business that led to significant savings.

At the end of 2000 I was asked to take on additional accountability as VP Materials & Supply Chain Planning. I picked up responsibility for forecasting, the Sales & Operations Planning process, production & inventory planning, production planning, distribution and logistics and contract manufacturing - a big piece of the supply chain.

I’ve also been involved in a number of Group-wide programmes including PROBE and our centrally managed Procurement of Business Services. We’ve also been working with our sister business units in the United States on a third party logistics implementation. You’ve got to be adaptable - you never know what’s coming.

My boss Chris Young, Senior VP of Operations, trusts me to manage what I’m accountable for directly. It’s not like he looks over my shoulder every ten minutes - he has full faith in me that I’m doing what’s right for the business. Obviously from time to time he assigns me other business challenges, but once the assignment is made the baton is truly passed and you’re accountable and expected to do what you do.

If I have an idea or concept, I’m one step away from our Managing Director. I can chat about it with my boss and if we think it’s value-added we go and talk to the Managing Director and we may well do something. In an organisation with more layers it’s probably more difficult to get those entrepreneurial type ideas visible and actioned.

I do believe that the people here are committed to delivering benefit to the organisation and to having a fun time doing it. In the last three years, the business has grown rapidly. It’s been an exciting ride!

VP Materials & Supply Chain Planning, Mott’s, USA

[Richard’s career path]

Senior Logistics Analyst - Maxwell House, General Foods (1980).....Department Head - Maxwell House Coffee Plant, General Foods (1981).....Program Manager - R&D, Pepsico (1982).....Manager, Manufacturing Operations - Concentrate Division, Pepsico (1984).....Manager, Industrial Engineering - Coffee/Tea, Nestle (1987).....Marketing Manager - Nescafe Coffee, Nestle (1988).....Director, Operations & Technical Management - Nestea, Nestle (1990).....Director of Technology, Colgate Palmolive North America (1991).....Director of Technology & Operations Development, Colgate Palmolive North America (1995).....Director of Product Supply Chain Integration - Colgate Palmolive North America (1997).....VP Materials & Supplier Development, Mott’s (January 2000).....VP Materials & Supply Chain Planning, Mott’s (December 2000)

To continue growing our business we need our people to grow too. Which is why we hire people with the skills and approach to contribute today and the potential to do more in the future. We work in partnership with you on your personal development - we provide the resources and opportunities; you provide the energy and motivation.

We want you to take on new challenges so that you keep on growing as an individual and in turn grow our business. You'll typically start your career with us in a function in one of our many businesses. You'll then be able to choose whether to develop your career as a generalist or a specialist. Whichever path you choose, you'll be encouraged to gain experience of different businesses, brands and people.

You can move around the company to broaden your skills and experience either in your own country or abroad. If you're set on climbing the leadership ladder, your progress will depend entirely on how experienced, motivated and capable you are.

We want you to learn as much as you can on the job – to push yourself and to try new things. In line with this can do attitude, we encourage people to see mistakes as learning experiences and to grow from these.

Alongside on the job learning, we also offer many different learning and development activities including self-study, coaching, courses, professional qualifications and community programmes – much of it taking place during work time. We also have world class initiatives such as our International Development Programme.

No matter how experienced you are, you can always learn more and stretch yourself further. One of your key tasks as a manager is to keep on developing your skills and capabilities, to look for and make the most of the many opportunities that are out there. It’s about growing yourself, growing the team and, in turn, growing the business. That way, everybody wins.

Jane’s story

I joined Cadbury Kenya in 1995 as a Brand Manager for Bournvita and drinking chocolate. It was a big responsibility, coordinating the delivery of marketing strategies to get growth. I quickly extended my experience through close working with my immediate team and with other people in the region to share knowledge and best practice. It’s a learning experience for you on a personal level and also for the business because then you can make improvements in your work. You have to have a leader who is willing to give you the responsibility. You can have all these grand ideas and experiences but if you don’t have somebody who lets you put them into practice, it won’t happen.

In 1997 I moved from the commercial end of the business to running the factory. It was a lot more responsibility - very appealing because it was going to be enriching to myself. What was required was leadership - people skills and organisational ability to get the operations and relations in the factory going right.

When I became Operations Director in January 2001, alongside the manufacturing I took on extra responsibility for all the buying, planning and distribution in the East African region - the total supply chain. I was also part of the regional team responsible for setting out strategy for food drinks growth. A team of us from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa and India looked at what was working well, for example in Nigeria, and how to make it work for the whole region and maybe later for the whole company. The focus was on sharing best practice at a strategic level.

In January 2002 I became Managing Director - taking the helm to improve the business as quickly as possible.

I particularly value the varied skills and experience I’ve gained at Cadbury Schweppes - the exposure and experience at different ends of the business, the international experience, the strategic training in terms of thinking differently and the Sharpening The Culture programme. The culture programme goes beyond your work - it changes you as a person.

I also value the relationships I’ve built up over time and the friends I’ve made. To work as a team player is very important. It's about getting the relationships right with people around you, above you, across other businesses so they feel confident they can share with you. If you work closely you succeed.

Managing Director, Cadbury Kenya

[Jane’s career path]

Bsc Food Science & Technology, University of Nairobi (1981).....Production Supervisor, Kenya Co-operative Creameries (1985).....MBA-Marketing, University of California (1990).....Customer Service Executive, Farmers Choice (1993).....Brand Manager, Cadbury Kenya (1995).....Factory Manager (1997).....Operations Director (2001).....Managing Director (2002)

Gain from our success

Great training and career opportunities, encouragement and support to make a difference in your community, a sense of pride in being part of a growing, successful international company - you can gain in all kinds of ways from working at Cadbury Schweppes. Add the financial rewards and it's a compelling total package.

We offer competitive pay and benefits in line with your chosen career path. Where possible, we also give you the flexibility to make some choices around your pay and benefits to suit your own circumstances.

Contributing to a company you own part of rather than to one you just work for is not only more satisfying but also potentially more rewarding. Which is why we actively encourage share ownership among all our employees. Over half our employees have access to reduced price purchase plans. We are broadening our share ownership initiatives as part of our ongoing commitment to reward our people for their contribution to the success of our business.

We recognise and reward exceptional performers in a number of ways. Our merit increase programme focuses on paying people for their performance and contribution. Our incentive plan awards reflect business and individual success. And our share options are allocated on performance and value to the business rather than only the level at which you work. These are just three examples of how we ensure that the more of a difference you make the more you gain.

Andrew’s story

I joined the company straight out of uni as a marketing graduate in 1989. By 1994 I was Senior Product Manager of moulded chocolate and dairy milk - the company’s flagship portfolio. In 1995 I was invited to participate in the International Management Development programme - a two to three year secondment to an overseas business unit. So I left Australia to work at Trebor Bassett in the UK as NPD manager and Senior Product Manager. In 1997 I came back to Australia as Marketing Manager in confectionery. After a couple of years I went to Beijing as Marketing Director for Cadbury China. In 2000 I began my current job - Marketing Director for food and beverage in Australia.

I’ve had a multitude of experiences and exposure to an extraordinarily broad cross-section of management talent. Even at the most junior levels I was fronting up to the regional chief exec and giving presentations. As an organisation we have a very open-door management philosophy. It’s not a ‘sit at your desk mate and don’t think beyond just your area of responsibility or management strata’ company. Managers at all levels are encouraged to get full exposure to a broad range of business issues and business problems and to have an active involvement in the development of appropriate solutions.

I’ve also had the opportunity not just to travel extensively but to live abroad. There’s a big difference between visiting China or visiting Europe and living there and having the opportunity for my family to live there as well. One of the leadership imperatives that we are encouraged to work by is that of being international. We walk the talk in terms of internationalism. To give you just one example, I’ve got a Frenchman in my team who’s working as a brand manager in beverages. He’s on secondment from his old role as an export manager in chewing gum - not only has he crossed boundaries from a national perspective, but also from a cultural, a marketplace and a role perspective.

There’s no way I could’ve experienced and seen as much of the world as I have if I didn’t work for a company like Cadbury Schweppes. I’ve had a lot of experiences, I’ve travelled extensively and made a lot of friends along the way.

Marketing Director/Senior VP Marketing, Cadbury Schweppes Australia

[Andrew’s career path]

Marketing Graduate Trainee, Cadbury Schweppes Australia (1989).....Assistant Brand Manager (1990).....Brand Manager (1991).....Senior Product Manager (1994).....Senior Brand Manager, Trebor Bassett, UK (1995).....Marketing Manager, Cadbury Schweppes Australia (1997).....Marketing Director, Cadbury China (1999).....Marketing Director/Senior VP Marketing, Cadbury Schweppes Australia

Be yourself

We place great value on diversity and equal opportunities for all employees. This makes good business sense - when people with different interests, skills and backgrounds work together well you can achieve much more than a company where everyone's the same. A company full of diverse individuals also creates a richer place to work - one that's more interesting and enjoyable for everyone.

People progress through the company based purely on merit. Our senior managers come from different parts of the world, have different characters and take different approaches to their work.

We all work within the same framework of guiding principles, policies and objectives. We all share the same core purpose: working together to create brands people love. Within the framework and in the interests of the core purpose, you are encouraged to let your individualism shine through - for example, by supporting a community cause that's particularly close to your heart.

One of our managers, Martin Spencer, who works in are Canadian business and loves Cadbury's Dairy Milk and Dr Pepper, summed it up neatly when he said: "The culture here is extremely positive but also inclusive. I think everyone brings something unique to the company."

I’ve been at Cadbury Schweppes for 15 years. In that time I have had various roles in many different countries. These include sales training in India; franchise management in the UK; HR Director of the start-up Cadbury Russia business; VP Resourcing & Development at Dr Pepper/Seven UP in the USA; and my current role of HR Director Group Functions in London. No matter where I've worked, I have always been treated purely on the basis of my results.

It's a very open atmosphere where I’m treated as an individual. So if a decision was made which I didn’t feel was appropriate, or I had a particular issue, I feel very comfortable that I would be able to discuss that with the company.

The things I have been encouraged to do say a lot about the company’s commitment to creating diversity. At Dr Pepper/Seven UP, for example, I was accountable with my team for some very exciting work - putting together and spearheading the diversity programmes DPSU needed to achieve its diversity goals which are linked to its commercial goals. We looked at what we needed to do in the marketplace, the workforce and the workplace - the programmes, initiatives and cultural change in those three areas. There was an enormous amount of work in each area. For example in the workplace, thinking about how we ensure that the views and wishes of different sections of the community are taken into account. In the marketplace, working with our marketing colleagues to give feedback on advertising copy and identify new opportunities such as urban advertising. And in the workforce, making DPSU a destination company for diverse groups of people.

I feel that throughout my 15 years at Cadbury Schweppes I have always been judged on what I’ve produced. For me that’s the absolute ultimate in an organisation.

Human Resources Director Group Functions, UK

[Pippa’s career path]

Graduate Trainee, Cadbury Schweppes, UK, India & Germany (1987).....Group Human Resources Manager, UK (1991).....HR Manager, Cadbury Beverages North America (1992).....HR Manager, Schweppes Europe Franchises (1995).....HR Director, Cadbury Russia (1996).....HR Director, Cadbury Schweppes Africa, India, Middle East, Europe Beverages (1998).....VP Resourcing & Development, Dr Pepper/Seven Up (1999)....HR Director Group Functions, UK (2002)

The future's in your hands

There are many more tales of working together well to be told, including yours. Write your story, or paint it, or film it, or put it to music - above all, share it. We're gathering together as many stories about working together well as we can and we'd love yours to be one of them.

You no doubt noticed the career paths of a number of our managers running through this book - little histories of their careers so far. Sketch your career path. It’s a great way to create a quick and vivid picture of what you've done and what you'd like to do. If you're already with us, you can use it as a talking point at your next career planning session. If you're coming to us for an interview, bring it along with you.

To find out more about the career options available at Cadbury Schweppes go to www.cadburyschweppes.com.