20 years since I joined RB

May 20th 2020 marked 20 years since I joined RB. During this time I have had the opportunity to move 6 times and to live in 5 different countries. I definitely didn’t expect to stay 20 years with the same company but the responsibility and independence which RB gave me from day one and the continual challenges, new experiences and opportunities to make a difference have kept me motivated and excited throughout. RB has changed a lot over the years but these core values have not and, even as the company continues to develop, I hope that it will keep on giving people not just opportunities but also trust and responsibility from the first day. 

In my own case RB hired me, with a mere one year of work experience, to set up Demand Planning for a newly merged Reckitt Benckiser Switzerland, integrating the planning process of the 2 companies. For my second role I moved from Switzerland to the UK. This is another factor which has kept me at RB: that the possibility to move abroad exists even at an early stage of your career. Although I appreciate that this is not for everyone, for me, personally, it’s always been one of the attractions. In keeping with the tradition of stretching people and trusting them early with responsibility, after less than 5 years I was given my first leadership role with RB and offered another move. I probably owe a few apologies to my team from that time. I was a young and inexperienced people manager and not yet a leader. With hindsight I can see that I made a lot mistakes but I thank all of you who stuck with me and helped me to learn. 

Continuing my journey with RB brought me to more countries, roles, experiences, challenges and most importantly, into contact with many more colleagues. Fast forward to the present and the last 4 months have been some of the most demanding but also the most rewarding of my career. I hope that my contribution has made a difference not just to RB but to people everywhere, getting them access to products which have allowed them to navigate more safely through these challenging times. I would have liked to spend my 20 year anniversary with colleagues at the office or meeting with one of my teams across Asia. Instead I spent it in a Business Review via Teams from my â€œhome office", the new normal. Of course the meeting overran, this is another thing which has not changed during all my years with the company and it is an area in which we can still improve.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the managers and leaders who have allowed me to develop and prosper during these 20 years. I have learned from each of you and from the many teams and colleagues that I have worked with. My success over the years stems from your support. Last but definitely not least, I want to thank my wife, Rosalind, and my family. I couldn’t have done it without you. 

Looking ahead, I don’t think things have ever looked as uncertain as they do now. Yet, especially for a company like RB there are also a lot of chances for us to take.  In my opinion, we are uniquely set to make a difference to people's lives.