Name: Paula Minowa
Was: Director at Asda
Now: CEO of German retailer Strauss Innovation


Career background: She joined Boots in September 2000, where she worked as MD (Taiwan) before joining Asda in 2003. During her nearly five years as brand and communications director/format development director, she helped introduce Asda’s first general merchandise store Asda Living at Crown Wharf Retail Park, Walsall, in October 2004.

What is she doing now? Minowa left Asda in 2008, swapping supermarkets for saucy lingerie when she joined Ann Summers as MD in 2009. There she created a robust strategic plan focused on commercial drive and improved business infrastructure. Minowa was also credited with growing its online strategy and transforming its marketing. She left after three-and-a-half years and in May 2012 became CEO of German clothing and homeware retailer Strauss Innovation, which has 95 stores and approximately 1,100 employees.

At Asda: Minowa was also involved with the Asda Essentials venture, which was not so successful, but she believed the company learned from the experience. In a Nigel Wright Recruitment Consumer Focus report, she said the pilots taught the chain how operating costs could be cut dramatically and where the line could be drawn between brands and own label.

What’s next? Minowa has only worked at Strauss Innovation for eight months but her career history suggests she will remain there for a couple of years at least. She is a strong believer in ‘forensic examination of the market’ and thinking about the long-term future of any given sector - characteristics honed in her early career in brand management.

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