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Ian Chubb, the founder of Focus Business Management Group, started his career at Unilever, the Anglo Dutch international Food Group, having graduated from Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Studies with French.
Beginning at the bottom of the ladder as an assistant brand manager with Bachelor Foods in Sheffield, he first came into contact with brands such as Bachelor Soups and Vesta Complete meals, and spent an entire week end (before computers) converting the company's Price List from pounds, shillings and pence to decimal currency!
As part of the Unilever Company Management Development Scheme (UCMDS) he was transferred to Birds Eye Frozen Foods to form part of an elite New Product team, set up to scan the world for new products. An exciting job for someone in their twenties with a bit of traveling thrown in as well.
Head hunted out of Unilever to join Johnson and Johnson based in Slough and then transferred to the J&J Headquarters in New Jersey, Ian spent almost six years in the USA, latterly with BAT as International Marketing Manager with regional responsibilities for Europe and the Middle East.
Back in the UK, Ian gained his hands-on marketing experience with Phillip Morris, the makers of Marlboro and Grand Met, where he was Group Marketing Manager overseeing a department of Brand Managers directing Fosters Lager, Holsten Pils, Websters Yorkshire Bitter and Budweiser.
It was in the mid 80's that the "big job" came up at Bells Whisky
Joining Bells Whisky in Scotland as International Marketing Director, following the Guinness takeover, the board level position involved the rejuvenation of a brand, which had fallen into the doldrums for many years. An exciting job on a global scale, involving new packaging, new marketing, new whisky brands, new advertising globally and the creation of the Bells Scottish Open Golf Championship at Gleneagles.
Two years after the takeover of Bells, Guinness bought the Distillers company, and Ian was promoted to the new position of UK Marketing Director, in charge of all of the spirits brands within the Group which included Johnnie Walker, Gordon's Gin, Pimms, Hennessey Cognac, Absolut Vodka and Bell's Whisky.
After six years with the company, which changed its name to the Diageo Group, the lure of International Marketing became too strong, and Ian moved to the second largest whisky company, Whyte and Mackay as International Marketing Director, with global responsibilities to develop the company's whisky portfolio together with their Jim Beam Bourbon brand.
Reaching a crossroad of career development, Ian decided to branch out on his own in 1992 to form Focus Business Management Group, initially designed to provide short-term marketing resources to companies, but developing later into a full-service business advisory service.
Working across the UK and Europe, Ian has once more been able to use his fluency in French, working for a Belgian Insurance Company and a group of French Builders.