lifestyle
What it’s Like to Work at Grenade… Alex’s Story
‘Disruptive but not disrespectful’… one of the mantras we live and breathe here at Grenade. Our employees are asked to embody a similar approach to their work, pushing boundaries to create noise in a respectful manner. It’s this commitment and passion that is led by employees that make Grenade the company it is.
One of our ‘OG’ employees Alex Beaumont, is a prime example of someone who ‘Gets Shit Done’ and has done since the first day he stepped into Grenade HQ 6 years ago. Jumping through the ranks from Customer Service right up to Business Development Manager, Alex shares his story as a loyal Grenadier!
Hey, I’m Alex, Grenade’s Business Development Manager for Asia-Pacific and South Africa!
However, my journey didn’t start here. Prior to joining Grenade, I undertook a Master's in Sports Nutrition at Oxford Brookes University, where I gained some great experience and knowledge into the world of nutrition – not knowing how valuable this would be in the years to come! I also worked part time selling gym memberships, giving me an inkling for sales – another skill that’s been useful to date.
Once I graduated from uni, I felt it was time for a change – after spending most of my life down south, I ventured upwards to a little village near Solihull to join Grenade as a Customer Service Representative… the start of an awesome journey.
THE BEAUTY OF CUSTOMER SERVICE:
Whilst Grenade continues to grow rapidly, in 2017 when I joined, Grenade was seriously breaking into the national and international nutrition scene. I was excited to join this, but given the pace of the company's growth there was little time to mess about and I really had to get stuck in! Shortly after joining, I felt like I was involved in every business department, learning so much in a short time, with the knowledge stretching far beyond customer service.
My line manager at the time was fantastic and recognised my efforts, pushing me into a range of opportunities that really helped me to grow within the company – I felt like a ‘jack of all trades’ after just 6 months. It was hereon that I ended up moving into the UK sales team, picking up various UK accounts where I dealt with expanding the vending and leisure scene. This experience was incredible as I led this through the rapid growth of Grenade, building invaluable connections within the FMCG industry – including some of the biggest sports clubs on the planet.
But it was all thanks to the Customer Service role, providing a base of experience that allowed me to put myself in the customer's shoes and really understand who these people really are. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who's looking to go into a business, marketing or logistics role, it's a great way to get your foot in the door!
ALEX GOES WORLDWIDE
In January 2020, I seized an awesome opportunity to join our international team in Delhi, India. Drawing on the UK experience and ever-growing passion for nutrition, I moved into a Country Manager role where I oversaw marketing, logistics, and sales. This has been one of the top highlights of working at Grenade, I was having lunch with Bollywood stars, arranging partnerships with an IPL cricket team and winning major retail listings. My day-to-day was so diverse, even on a personal level where I got to experience an entirely different culture/country. Unfortunately, the pandemic brought my time in India to a halt, and I returned to the UK in May 2021. Hopefully, I’ll be back out there soon, drowning in Chai again!
RETURNING TO THE UK:
Despite the pandemic's disruption, my journey didn’t stop there as I leapt into a new role leading three of our international regions (Asia-Pacific). I’ve continued in this role since, my day-to-day continues to evolve but my predominant focus is ensuring that Grenade can be enjoyed on a global scale.
Here's a clip of Alan Barratt, the Grenade CEO, chatting to Steven Bartlett about my journey at Grenade!
Alex's inspiring journey at Grenade demonstrates that career progression isn't always linear. Sometimes, "zig-zagging" through various roles within a company like Grenade can lead you to a fulfilling and exciting career path you never imagined. Our supportive culture and commitment to employee growth makes Grenade the perfect place for ambitious individuals like Alex to thrive!
Fancy becoming a part of the Grenade family?
Check out our latest vacancies here.