The Team

Andrew Coulson

Director and co-founder in 2005.

Andy has over 25 years experience helping FMCG businesses from P&G to Glebe Farm Foods grow and realise their ambitions. Qualified by the Institute of Direct Marketing and backed by consultancy experience and a career in sales and marketing, Andy has worked with many different food and drink businesses and has a natural tendency to think laterally as well as give a wide choice of options.

For example in 2005, gluten free cakes were only in the health food trade: Andy posed the question to retailers and foodservice distributors “Why not create a free-from category?”

Andy divides his time between new client recruitment, client consultancy and delivering high level foodservice and retail sales.

Daniel Shaw

Director and co-founder in 2005.

Dan complements Andy’s lateral thinking with the capacity to work the detail and enable client objectives to be met.

As a fellow of the Chartered Institute for Marketing, Dan had a career in sales and trade marketing including KP, McVitie’s and the William Reed Group prior to forming Cognosco, Dan is also responsible for compiling Cognosco activity and contacts into the valuable database.

Dan divides his time between client consultancy, working for clients with the likes of Brakes and the day to day management of Cognosco.

Barrie Welch

National Account Manager

Barrie has over 25 years of experience in FMCG sales and national accounts. Having accomplished results in every role he had been in, he has honed in skills in relationship and category management as well as a number of leadership roles.

From his base in Leeds he covers the majority of the North, Scotland and Ireland and has integral relationships with key wholesalers and their corresponding buying groups.

Originally from an on and off trade background with the likes of Coors and Carlsberg he has diversified his skillset in the foodservice arena where he delivers high end performance and service.

Marcel James

National Account Manager.

A career with the likes of Sidoli, Ministry of Cake and Handmade Cakes means that Marcel has an intimate understanding of operations and of how to develop sales working alongside wholesalers and as a major account manager.

Working from his base in Taunton, Marcel looks after sales via Bidfood and a number of other key wholesalers as well as end user restaurant groups like Loungers and contract caterers like Baxter Storey with head offices based south and west of Birmingham.

Janet Peters

National Account Manager.

Janet has an extensive sales career with the likes of Coca Cola and Kerry Foodservice, Plus Foods and other major manufacturers.

Having worked in Europe and around the world as well as in the UK, Janet has a wealth of product development experience alongside senior Executive Chefs and senior customer managers.

She brings warmth to relationships with major UK pub groups and foodservice end users from Mitchells & Butlers, Stonegate and Compass to Bourne Leisure and many large universities.

Darren Chapman

National Account Manager and Dev Chef

Darren has 33 years’ experience as a chef, ranging from Business & Industry and Education to high end Hotels and fine dining Restaurants.

Having gained 2 AA Rosettes, he set his sights on gaining his higher qualifications as a Pastry Chef to aid his progression as a Head Chef.

Following his career in a kitchen he went on to work for Nestle Professional as a Development Chef. In his 11 years there, he launched their dessert mix range, headed up the culinary side of a KitKat Branded pop-up shop (making KitKats by hand to order) and developed a Dark Kitchen project with over 100 recipes.
He presented all 4 Nestle brands to hotels, restaurants, cruise companies, B&I, education & healthcare sites but spent the last 3 years focusing on their plant-based range and helped develop dishes and recipes for the UK market.
In this role it was found that ‘Chef to Chef’ engagement was key to many sales successes.

As a chef he is aware of the challenges faced by other chefs and will look at how products can aid the kitchen brigade daily, ranging from cost issues to skills and staffing levels and consistency.

Ashley Cairns

Consultant Brain

Ashley draws upon his very considerable knowledge of working data to deliver new business opportunities in category development initiatives to both the licenced trade and multiple grocers.

Strategically he has assisted leading brands such as Walkers Crisps, Diageo and others with detailed research papers to plc boards as well as actionable targeting detail.

Ashley has worked for leading data consultancies and also blue chip brand owners such as Bass (now Coors), Mitchells and Butlers and AB-In Bev (Stella Artois).

Luan Keen

Researcher and Office Manager.

Luan divides her time between supporting the sales team arranging samples and equipment, running detailed reports for clients and carrying out research activity. The research typically looks at categories stocked, pricing and ranges. Combined with the National Accounts Team experience, this gives valuable insight into the markets that Cognosco approaches on behalf of clients.

Ceri Steele

Researcher and Telesales Executive.

With an extensive background in sales and customer service, Ceri systematically approaches selected businesses to help find more out about their needs or to draw stock through wholesalers. These might be Vending companies or Leisure sites or from a range of different mostly foodservice channels.