Claire Williams, former head of marketing at Premium Content Alliance, has joined Metcash in a newly created role as the head of brand, strategy and insights for its food business.

The role, which reports to Fiona Johnston, GM Shopper, Brand and Loyalty, was designed to focus on growing brand equity and strategic initiatives. Williams officially began her tenure at Metcash on 29 January 2024.

Prior to joining Metcash, Williams spent 18 months with PCA as head of marketing and had a 14-year stint with Lion in various roles including consumer connections director, digital and communications director, and marketing manager. During her time at Lion, Williams managed a media and partnership spend of $55 million to grow 15 brands within the FMCG's portfolio.

"I was attracted to the role because it focuses on growing brand equity and the strategic initiatives that fuel that, whilst being the voice of the shopper and challenging the organisation to meet their needs and enhance the overall brand experience," Williams said.

According to Williams, "My career began agency side focusing on shopper market research. This involved in-store filming, behavioural analysis and leading eye tracking studies, long before the tools were utilised in digital environments."

"It's a fascinating time in the retail space with changes to lifestyles, evolving preferences and rapid advances in technology so connection to the shopper continues to be a core pillar of retail excellence," Williams commented.

Her first task at Metcash is to understand how to maximise the effectiveness of their media and how to clearly define and reach their shopper audience.