Gemma Fitzsimons, Marketing Manager of Muffin Break

On driving change, inspiring and being inspired.

QSR Media: What makes you excited about your position?

Gemma Fitzsimons: Retail and food are two of my lifelong passions so to be able to use these interests in my daily job-role means I get to work on what I love for a living! Every day brings a new challenge or opportunity allowing me to really take charge of my own professional and personal development. I love the fact that I can make a difference, nurture and develop my team and most of all be creative. To be part of a much loved Aussie brand and to be able to drive change and innovation is really inspiring.

QSR Media: What 3 goals are you focused on?

Fitzsimons: At Muffin Break, we focus on three major goals:

Customer Satisfaction
Best of Breed
Stakeholder Return

QSR Media: What long-term changes are you planning?

Fitzsimons: Muffin Break celebrates 25 years in Australia this year and 20 years in New Zealand; and this strong foundation will only assist our future growth initiatives which include:

Store Design – we are constantly reviewing and adapting our store design to suit each location and space, and these learnings will only help us to drive continued store evolution to ensure we are providing ambient store environments for our customer to enjoy.
Cross-Channel Approach – it’s vital that our customers see multiple touch points as part of the same brand and that the message is timely and consistent across these channels. As we grow, we will continue to educate Muffin Break customers about who we are and what we do but also, excite them with new retail messages across the brand’s key communication channels including television, where we have recently launched a new campaign.
Putting Customers at the Heart, Always – nowadays, consumers are more empowered and more connected to companies as well as to each other than ever before. Gone are the days of the 'one size fits all' approach. Now we are using our valuable data to help us understand our customers better and ultimately, offer them a more personalised and seamless experience with us responding to their needs and behaviours.
Commitment to Quality, Freshness and Newness –Quality coffee and baking is in our DNA and that’s something that won’t change but these credentials will continue to underpin all of our new product ranges and will see our savoury lines growing even further in the future in response to consumer demand and industry trends.

QSR Media: What are your key business philosophies?

Fitzsimons:

Create a Vision – always have a brand vision to ensure the team's thinking is aligned and you are striving for the same goals and objectives.
Instil Values – we all know great company culture makes for happier employees but when this is extended by instilling core values that everyone works by, the results can be astounding.
Promote and Embrace Change – innovation and risk are an essential part of any business’ growth
Live By Your Customers’ Experiences – don’t just do what you think customers would want, get out there and live and breathe the brand as they would - or even better, ask them, this will only strengthen their experiences
Inspire and be Inspired – use your interests to inspire others and take inspiration from those around you to help you learn, whether it be your leadership team, industry events or otherwise.

QSR Media: What previous positions prepared you for this one and how?

Fitzsimons: Since completing my BA (Hons) Marketing degree in 2003, I worked for a selection of well-known companies in the UK before I joined Foodco (which owns Muffin Break) here in Australia. In the UK, I worked within the marketing teams of John Lewis Department Stores, the Arcadia Group and McDonald’s. Each role has given me great experience and helped me to shape my career thus far into what it is today. From understanding company values, following a vision and trends, getting to know your customers and appreciating the importance of each channel and its communication purpose in the mix to name a few.

Each role has helped me to further progress key marketing skills such as brief writing, project management, research, analysis and evaluation as well as managing and leading people.

Each company I have worked for has promoted a great culture and the opportunity to pursue your own personal and professional development which is invaluable to me. All of this has made me into the Marketing Manager I am today and allows me to really make a difference, positively influence and make a substantial contribution to the business. I truly feel valued at Foodco and I am so excited to see where we can take the brand over the coming months.