Awarded Marketing Executive · Brand Expert
Professional Experience
EXECUTIVE | INIKA SUPERFOODS | 2022 - PRESENT
About Inika Superfoods ⋅ A Nicoya Portfolio Company
Inika Superfoods is bringing modern holistic wellness to the forefront of digitally native lifestyle brands. We offer delicious, plant-based snacks, convenient and Earth-friendly foods, and natural supplements; all brimming with wellness-boosting superfoods, ready to be enjoyed anywhere, in no time. A Swedish-born, female-founded company, Inika Superfoods is majority owned by food-tech investment company Nicoya (N!CK’S, El Taco Truck, Oatlaws, Farmers & Chefs, Peas of Heaven, a.o.)
JAN 2023 - PRESENT
Operational Lead (Acting CEO)
Reporting to the BoD. Leading the company and heading the Inika Superfoods brand, its DTC, performance, e-commerce, product and marketing functions. Fundraising. Spearheading the company’s international omni-channel expansion, and supporting its retail sales and strategic B2B partnerships.
Key achievements to date:
Reached unprecedented growth across key metrics, a consistent trend under my leadership. YOY growth on selected KPIs seen up until Q3 2023: 55% revenue increase, 30% higher AOV, 343% ROAS increase, 73% decrease in CAC, and a steadily positive overall MROI.
Developed (naming, packaging, visuals, storytelling, positioning) and launched (incl. e-commerce set up, SoMe direction, content productions, a.o.) two new product categories, and a total of seven new SKUs across two categories (food supplements & wellness foods).
Launched three major key accounts with prominent brand supporting and volume generating B2B partners in Sweden (Life, Apohem and Örtagubben).
Under my leadership, Inika Superfoods has also secured its first international key retail partner, becoming available at the world renowned Selfridges UK as of Q1 2024.
FEB 2022 - JAN 2023
Head of Brand and Product
Executive position. Headed the Inika Superfoods DTC brand, new product development, category expansion, PR and marketing functions. Key markets: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, United Kingdom.
Key achievements:
Introduced and led a 360° marketing strategy which, along with e-commerce platform, communication & product refinements, resulted in a 57% increase in YOY Sales, doubling of CR, 9% increase in AOV, 56.5% increase in ROAS, and a stable, upwards trending MRR.
Introduced a new, commercially compelling storytelling platform for the brand, leading to a consistent sound & feel across channels and products.
Developed and launched a total of four new SKUs across two food categories. Refined the packaging and concept and relaunched both the two existing categories (superfood bars & superfood powders).
Managed the launch of a sister e-commerce site in collaboration with Inika’s strategic UK partner in record six weeks time.
Led the production & execution of the company’s first ever PR strategy, resulting in the first British Vogue feature for the brand (October 2022), followed by two more features in the same publication, and features in Condé Nast Traveller and Tatler magazine, among others.
CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE | SIMRIS ALG | 2011 - 2022
About Simris Alg ⋅ Pioneering Algae Biotech Since 2011
Simris Alg was founded in 2011 in Southern Sweden by Fredrika Gullfot, PhD and Daphne Jaeschke, MSc.
Simris Alg is a biotechnology company harnessing the powers of microalgae for nutritional supplements (DTC & B2B2C) and, as of 2021, cosmeceutical, food and pharmaceutical applications (B2B) through its own R&D and production.
The award-winning proprietary lifestyle brand Simris® developed by Daphne Jaeschke, featured two state-of-the-art product lines boasting unparalleled product quality and outstanding design. The products enjoyed significant international acceptance, partnering with high-end, reputable retailers in Sweden (Åhlens, Apoteket, NK, a.o.), USA (Anthropologie, Goop, EREWHON, Lemon Laine, a.o.) and South Korea, as well as online. A pioneer within the global omega-3 industry, Simris Alg was one of the few producers in the world offering algal omega-3 ingestibles as a sustainable, plant-based & planet-friendly alternative to fish-oil, and the only one positioned in the thriving prestige wellness category, at the intersection of luxury, beauty and wellness.
Under Jaeschke's visionary leadership, Simris Alg was awarded several prizes and honours for branding, communication, sustainability, innovation and engineering, and received great international and domestic press attention (WIRED, Wallpaper*, CBS, The New York Times, Evening Standard, TEDx, Vogue US, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR, Veckans Affärer, Dagens Industry, SvD, Filter, ICON, a.o.).
Simris Alg became a publicly listed company on Nasdaq First North (SIMRIS) during spring 2016.
SEP 2020 - FEB 2022
Chief Marketing Officer
Led the marketing, commercial and product teams of Simris Alg and directed the company’s domestic and international strategic brand development and product marketing efforts, DTC and B2B2C.
Key achievements:
Launched three sophisticated DTC e-commerce sites (Shopify), under two storefronts, for the USA, European and Swedish markets, doubling the site conversion rates. Introduced subscriptions service achieving 0% churn rate over 7 months.
Adapted the digital strategy redirecting efforts and KPIs toward data & analytics driven performance optimisation & online marketing (digital campaigns, email marketing, SEM, media buying, etc.) during the global pandemic, generating significant traffic increase to the company’s e-commerce site.
Oversaw the updating of the corporate Investors Relations communication platform to reflect Simris Alg's strategic shift in new business development areas within B2B.
AUG 2016 - AUG 2020
Commercial Director
Executive position. Led and developed the consumer-focused commercial team of Simris Alg (DTC & B2B2C) and devised & directed the company’s strategic international brand, key retail and media presence.
Key achievements:
Adapted the Simris® brand & communication platforms to contemporary commercial standards, in preparation for international and DTC growth. I created and ran brand & commercial strategy immersion workshops for all the company's teams, key partners and Board of Directors, achieving internal goal alignment and efficiency in decision making.
I completed production of over 20 detailed brand, communication, sales and partnership guides for internal use or external distribution, with immediate impact on increasing retail sales, CRM and new account onboarding efficiency.
Devised the launch of Simris® in the US market (2019) through identifying key partnerships, managing lead generation, brand awareness activities, initiating relationships with key retailers (e.g. The Detox Market, Goop, etc), trade marketing (incl. Indie Beauty Expo LA), event hosting, social media marketing, brand collaborations (incl. Volvo), etc.
Oversaw and art-directed the creation of the brand's pop-up stores and store-in-store pop-ups in various central New York (Manhattan, Brooklyn) & Stockholm locations, in collaboration with renowned external artists and production teams.
Awards & recognition:
Winner of Glossy/Digiday’s US edition of 2020 Future Leaders Award, within the Wellness category, March 2020
The Swedish Food Award (Livsmedelspriset), Livsmedel i fokus, 2017
APR 2012 - JUL 2016
Head Of Marketing
Management team member. Role spanned from strategic-level planning, to team leadership, project management and operations. In charge of the company’s brand management, positioning and strategic communication efforts, as well as its online presence, web development and trade marketing activities. Chief creative director during the new product development (NPD) work for Simris®, and heavily involved in sourcing & supply chain management for the area. Lastly, led recruitments & team management, design agency management and undertook public speaking assignments.
Key achievements:
Conceptualised, created and launched a completely new and promptly award-winning consumer brand in the Swedish market, two state-of-the-art product lines (Simris® Algae Omega-3 & Simris® Select), an online store and nine lifestyle products.
Led the company’s award-winning in-house PR & communication, generating over 600+ organic mentions & features in domestic and international business, trade as well as lifestyle press and news outlets (WIRED, Veckans Affärer, TEDx, Filter, ICON, SvD, Dagens Industry, a.o.) and establishing Simris Alg as a key global player within the Algae and Omega-3 industries.
Extensive product development & supply chain work: market research, concept development, packaging design implementation, label copywriting, packaging & ingredient sourcing, supply chain management, budgeting, etc.
Trade shows, representation & public speaking engagements.
Recruitments and continuous organisational input, team leadership & management.
Awards & recognition:
PR-Rookie of the year, Prat PR, March 2016
33-listan, Ny Teknik & Affärsvärlden, 2015
Best New Natural Brand, Natural & Organic Products Scandinavia, November 2015
33-listan, Ny Teknik & Affärsvärlden, 2014
MAR 2011 - APR 2012
Marketing Manager
The sole business strategist and communicator of the newly founded start-up company, the role was fundamental in the development, strategic growth and identity of Simris Alg, including its PR & press image and positioning.
Key achievements:
Created the strategic profile & strategic communication foundations for the company.
Built and implemented the company’s distinctive and consistent branding strategy.
Shaped Simris Alg's public image by introducing and implementing a consistent messaging & PR strategy. Trained, coached and advised the company's main spokesperson generating significant attention from press, media and investors.
In charge of overall marketing management and execution, from launching the company online and representing Simris Alg around the globe, to film production & creation of the 37-paged Simris Brand Bible.
Education
2009 - 2011
Master of Science (MSc)
Marketing & Management
Stockholm University School of Business
Sweden
Ekonomie Masterexamen. International graduate programme. Master’s Dissertation entitled: Green is the new Glossy: Marketing cosmetics based on natural ingredients in the green consumerism era.
2012 - 2020
Executive Education & Independent Masterclasses
CIM, SSES, INSEAD, a.o.
United Kingdom/France/Sweden
Strategic Product Management (CIM)
Digital Marketing (Chartered Institute of Marketing)
Introduction to Public Relations (CIM)
Finance for Non-Financial Managers (Learning Tree International)
Sales Leadership (Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship)
Situational Leadership II (Ken Blanchard Companies)
EMEA CxO Academy (Google & INSEAD Paris)
2003 - 2008
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Language, Literature & Culture of the Black Sea Countries
Democritus University of Thrace
Greece
Specialisation in the language, literature and culture of Russia.
2006 & 2008
Summer Complete Educational Programmes
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Russia
Intensive Russian language training programme, directed by the LMSU Centre for International Education.
Summer educational programme with subjects of study: Russian Language and Culture and Ancient Culture – Basis of Moulding of the Personality, directed by the LMSU Higher School of Translation.