My Alternative CV: Müller’s Gemma Hancock on dairy, diversity and The Loco-motion

Name: Gemma Hancock

Job title: Commercial director

Company: Müller Milk & Ingredients (Müller UK & Ireland)

What was your first job? My job was to stand up the skittles in the local pub. I got £10 and they sweetened the deal with a bowl of chips.

It was all a bit of an eye-opener for me – the chat within the male skittles league was often not the most politically correct!

What’s been your worst job interview? I was interviewed for a job and the interviewer grilled me on the prices of the products I was selling at the time, and had little interest in getting to know me. Needless to say, we both left the interview and were unanimous in not wanting to work together.

What was the first music single you bought? The first single I can remember my mum buying me was The Loco-motion by Kylie. But really I was a massive Take That fan.

How do you describe your job to your friends? Milk is in 96% of fridges in the UK and I sell it to the supermarkets. I also bore my kids to tears with chat about cows and how we’re helping to build a better future for the British dairy industry!

“When we started Women in Müller back in 2020, it was born out of frustration that it seemed so much harder for women to break through into leadership roles”

What is the most rewarding part of your job? I love taking a lot of information and condensing it down into a simple, meaningful strategy and then bringing people together to deliver the plan.

I also love a good farm visit – I feel lucky to work in such a brilliant industry.

What is the least rewarding part? The amount of travel. I’ll merrily be phoning everyone and have forgotten everything I said I’d do by the time I’ve arrived.

One bonus is being able to listen to lots and lots of podcasts. I’d love to say this is all dairy-related (some of it is!) but I also love anything on true crime, psychology, relationships or politics. There’s also always plenty of time to crank up Take That…

What is your motto in life? Be true to yourself. To me, this means understanding and playing to my strengths, not attempting to be something I’m not, and above all, being kind.

If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? We have a network of dairies and depots all over the country, so probably a teleportation device to reduce the travel time from Yorkshire.

Do you have any phobias? Wasps. They are evil!

If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? I’d like it to be more inclusive, with better diversity in the top jobs to better reflect our consumers and a fairer workplace.

When we started Women in Müller back in 2020, it was born out of frustration that it seemed so much harder for women to break through into leadership roles. Five years on and it’s a huge success, and has led to various other D&I groups being set up within the business. But we know there’s still a long way to go!

What luxury would you have on a desert island? An internet connection so my shopping habit can continue unfettered.

What animal most reflects your personality? My partner calls me a mountain goat. Positive, resilient, energetic and a bit stubborn. I’m happiest when walking up hills in the rain – preferably to a pub!

What’s your favourite film and why? Zoolander. It’s utterly ridiculous. I love it!

Read more: 

• Müller Yogurt & Desserts launches two new Bliss SKUs

• Co-op to adopt Müller Direct milk price in £1m boost for dairy farmers

• My food & drink job: Leo Arkelaos, apprentice maintenance engineer, Müller

What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? That’s easy – it was an English presentation at school. I didn’t practise and I remember rambling on about Prince Charles and Camilla whilst everyone looked at me, appalled. It was like time stood still, and I would have happily crawled under a table in embarrassment. Luckily my teacher let me do it again!

I must have learned from this moment because ironically I then went on to get a degree in English.

Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? Rafael Nadal. I’d love to know how he was able to stay so mentally strong through even the toughest of matches.

What would your death row meal be? Spaghetti with prawns, chilli and tomato and a cold glass of Albariño. And a cheeseboard!

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