Contract Catering Awards update

Ali Hulley, head of retail and marketing – food for ISS, on becoming our most recent  Rising Star...

It was a huge honour to receive the Rising Star Award at this years’s ceremony. I’ve worked in the contract catering industry since 2014, starting in business development before moving into national marketing and brand roles.

My experiences at different organisations and across various teams has enabled me to build a wonderful network, which I think has really helped me progress in my career. I found that the people and leaders we have in this industry are incredible and there is so much support available if you reach out and ask for it.

I joined ISS UK’s food business as head of retail and marketing in 2020 and felt a strong sense of purpose in supporting the post-pandemic recovery. I developed a back-to-work marketing programme for ISS’s business and industry clients, which was built to support new and emerging consumer needs.

It was vital that our approach was agile and fit for client purposes, while also reigniting collaboration and company culture for returning employees, many of whom had been stuck working at home for more than a year. The programme included the roll-out of a holistic health and wellbeing initiative, followed by the launch of Unity Coffee, a concept designed to reconnect colleagues through food and beverage experiences, which is now being launched across ISS globally.

I've been so grateful for the feedback I've received from judges and colleagues since winning, highlighting my ability to think differently and take action to introduce new ideas and ways of working to colleagues and clients as a real strength. I am so passionate about what I do and it has been amazing to be recognised with this award. Thank you!

You may also be interested in…