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Craig Melling-Williams

Business Director - Sub Saharan Africa

Craig Melling-WilliamsYou started with Buchanan Group the same day the South African team departed for Australia for the annual conference. What was it like being on a 12 hour flight wedged between your new work colleagues?
Firstly, I could think of worse places to be en-route to for 12 hours with 3 people. Honestly though, I was initially a bit apprehensive - there isn't really an exit when your 55,000 feet high(!), but being wedged between Steve, Colsie and Caz was a really good way to get to know the team and to find out more about the business prior to my meeting the rest of the global team. The SA team are full of laughs and Colsie's bag was full of sleeping tablets, so when we weren't laughing we were sleeping.

Tell us about where you've worked previously.
British (cough) American (cough) Tobacco (cough, cough - no death threats please :-)) - A big corporate with an amazing culture of innovation and some fantastic people - pity the product is harmful :-( I was their Marketing Planning Manager. Infocy - small company which was started to do analysis and insight on category management information. AC Nielsen - The information Co - I was a Client Service executive on a number of FMCG clients. Ogilvy and Mather - needs no intro - I worked as an account executive on Nestle and SmithKline Beecham.

Do you have any children?
Yebo (that's Yes) - one handsome, cuddly, and occasionally tantrum throwing little boy named Conor. He rocks! (And yes his father can spell his name - one "n" - it's Irish.)

Favourite Movie?
Stand by me (does anybody remember it?)

Worst ever song?
Da Do Do Do, Da Da Da Da - by the Police or was it Sting? Not that its a bad song - just trashed my name by offering to sing it at a Karaoke and forgot that there was more to the song than " Da Do Do Do, Da Da Da Da, is all I want to say to you".

Any hobbies?
X - a lot of things...x-mountainbiker, x-hiker, x-squash player, x-golfer. Aside from these I quite enjoy bonzais - although mine all seem to die.

What's on the horizon for BG South Africa?
Exciting, exciting, exciting stuff...heaps of innovation as we explore grocery buying communities, digital platforms and increase our relevance to existing and new clients; expansion into the rest of Africa  - watch this space!

Best thing about BG?
The South African team - ok guys leave your Buck Monies (Rand) on my desk. On a more serious note though - The "we can do almost anything", family culture. Global company with a small company mindset and massive growth opportunities ahead.

Craig Melling-Williams

Business Director - Sub Saharan Africa
craig.melling-williams@bgworldhub.com
Tel: + 27 21 424 2310