Business leader

Claire Harper is a leading business figure, who has unmatched experience in; marketing, change management, branding and enterprise. With the success of some of the UK’s leading brands to her name, including Argos, Ocado, Sainsburys and Mamas & Papas.

Claire’s journey from corporate marketeer to fledgling entrepreneur, is inspirational and full of valuable messages. Gleaned from working at the heart of business, implementing innovation and cultural change; in influential and progressive brands.

Claire Harper At Argos

Joining Argos at the time of a hostile take over, Claire’s first foray into the psychology of shopping, landed her in the deep end. Faced with the challenge of a brand struggling, with the necessity to change. Her learning curve in people management, understanding the customer and innovative tech was steep; and with it her passion for taking brands to the next level grew.

Already driven and ambitious, Claire Harper thrived under the tutelage of influential mentors; and in time, she used her experience to move on to the next challenge

Joining Ocado

At the age of 26, she joined the newly launched Ocado, as head of customer acquisition and PR; and was soon promoted to head of marketing. At the heart of the proposition from the beginning, when online grocery shopping was clunky and ineffective; Claire Harper led the visionary business into the thrilling, unexplored territory. That has now become the way customers across the world shop, every day.

In sync with creating the business and watching it grow, Claire’s passion and drive elevated her knowledge and experience; to the highest level of influencing business. From where she could fight off competition, turn an entire concept on its head and create a whole new customer centric space in the market.

Sainsbury’s CEO

Four years later, Claire Harper was head hunted to join Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King’s new leadership team; to work her magic on the flagging brand and to make Sainsbury’s great again.

Forward thinking and by now proficient at adapting business plans to reflect the ever changing future; Claire launched the supermarket giant’s multi channel experience, and consolidated the brand with its customer comms.

Mamas & Papas

With a hunger for new challenges, Claire’s move to Yorkshire placed her as the first ever female board director; at nursery retailer Mamas & Papas, a strong family business, which had moved from wholesale to retail. Tasked with growing the brand in the UK and abroad, Claire had to build and strengthen a positive culture, and to ensure that the business prioritised understanding the customer; at the deepest level.

It was at this juncture of her career, that Claire Harper and her husband welcomed their first daughter Coco into the family; and Claire faced the challenge of balancing a demanding job, with taking care of a new born. Honest and frank about her decisions, including some mistakes; Claire’s own interpretation of how women can try to have it all, is inspirational and resounding.

Claire Harper & IndiaCoco

When second child India was born in 2011, she proved to be the change catalyst, that empowered the entrepreneurial spirit inside Claire to burst forth; in the form of IndiaCoco, a best of British kids’ clothing brand. In the face of appealing job offers from major retail businesses, Claire Harper made the brave and determined decision to start her own business. The business is growing and award winning, and is set to become a multi channel market leader.

Her understanding of online retail, as well as ‘bricks and mortar’ shopping and the passion that led her to take a new business into a crowded marketplace; by building it on values and customer service, and by selling the highest quality of product. Places Claire as one of the UK’s most formidable business leaders; who expounds her wisdom and strategies in keynote speeches across the world.