I’ve spent the better part of thirty years inside these industries, from running a €330m global health and wellness strategy to leading marketing and sales for major UK food manufacturers. I understand how these businesses operate, where growth comes from, and what tends to hold them back.
Meet Kerrie Walton
SUMMIT GUIDE – SOUTH MANCHESTER
I spent nearly three decades in senior marketing and commercial roles inside some large businesses, leading growth projects worth hundreds of millions of pounds across the UK, Europe and the US. I know how to build a brand, grow a sales team, and take a product into new markets because I’ve done it at scale, for businesses that couldn’t afford to get it wrong.
But somewhere along the way I found myself wanting to do something that felt closer to the ground, working with business owners who care about their teams and their customers, not just the next set of numbers.
These days I work with founders and MDs who’ve built something solid but feel like the business has grown faster than the systems and people around it. Strategy, sales, HR, operations, all landing on one desk. That’s a familiar picture and it’s exactly where I do my best work.
My home sector is food, drink and manufacturing. I’ve spent years inside those industries at a senior level and understand how they think and what growth looks like in practice. That said, the challenges facing founder-led businesses tend to look similar whatever the sector, so if you’re running a business outside those areas but the picture feels familiar, we’ll probably have a useful conversation.
WHO I WORK BEST WITH
Founders and MDs who’ve built something they’re proud of but feel like they’re carrying too much of it themselves.
If you want someone who understands marketing and sales at a serious level, has worked inside the industries you’re operating in, and will tell you what they think rather than what you want to hear, we’ll probably work well together.
WHERE I SPECIALISE
Marketing and sales strategy
Most founder-led businesses have a product or service worth selling. The gap is usually in how they position it, who they’re selling it to, and whether the sales and marketing effort is pointed in the right direction. That’s where I spend a lot of my time.
Reducing owner dependency
If the business relies on you for everything, it’s not a business yet. It’s a job with extra stress. I help founders build the team, the structure and the confidence to step back from the day-to-day without everything falling apart.
Building teams that deliver
I’ve led large teams across multiple countries and I know what it takes to get people aligned around a clear goal. Whether you’re building a team from scratch or trying to get more from the one you have, that experience is directly relevant.
International and e-commerce growth
I’ve taken businesses into new markets including the US, Europe and beyond. If you’re looking at growth outside your current market, I’ve navigated that process and I know where the pitfalls tend to sit.
You’ll get straight talking, a lot of listening, and probably some humour along the way. I take the work seriously. I just don’t think growing a business has to feel like a grind. I stay alongside you through the work, not just at the start of it.
THE FRAMEWORK
Success GPS
Most business plans sit in a drawer. Success GPS is built to make sure yours doesn’t.
It’s a structured programme that has been developed over eight years and tested with more than 450 businesses. It gives you and your leadership team a clear, agreed direction, a set of priorities that everyone understands, and real accountability for making progress happen.
The work covers three things: getting clear on the results you want, aligning your people around that destination, and building the habits and ownership that keep things moving. The result is a business that grows with purpose rather than just activity.
