Name: Matt Pullen
Was: Marketing director, Bernard Matthews
Now: Marketing director, EMEA North Region, AzkoNobel Decorative Coatings

Career background: Pullen started his career at J&J before joining Kraft, where he worked in marketing on many of the Terry’s confectionery brands and Maxwell House. He joined Bernard Matthews as a marketing controller in 2003 and was promoted to marketing director in 2006. He left to be the UK marketing director of Dulux paint owner AzkoNobel in October 2010.

What’s the highlight of your career at Bernard Matthews? “It went through some difficult times but it was in those times that I learnt the most about business. There was a time when Bernard Matthews was headline news, with stories about avian flu, animal welfare and food quality. We had to do some real rebuilding of trust in the brand. We went out and talked honestly and openly about what the business was doing to move on, and we got back on track.”

How different is it marketing DIY items? “I always describe DIY as the same but different. The way the brands operate and how marketing works is similar to the fmcg world apart from they’re not weekly shopping items. There’s more of an emotional investment in brands like Dulux when you’re decorating your home.”

Are the retailers similar to deal with? “Retailers are all the same: they’re trying to drive their business and the categories. It’s always a fun and enjoyable relationship, but it has its tensions as all these relationships do in business.”

What do you miss about grocery? “There’s a great speed to the grocery sector. You need to respond and move quickly to keep pace with the competition and retailers. We’re trying to bring some of that pace to the DIY sector and react quicker to the demands of the marketplace.”

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