Charlotte Cox - Building unstoppable teams in global marketing

Nottingham Business School Business Leaders

Marketing director Charlotte Cox is a woman who has had great success in the world of men’s international rugby union.

She famously led the team that developed the Canterbury shirt worn by England in the 2019 World Cup, in Japan. The Nottingham-based global marketeer also helped develop a host of other international kit.

Charlotte tells the Business Leaders’ podcast her most vivid memory of that World Cup was being sat in the Shizuoka Stadium watching Japan play Ireland, knowing she had been involved with the development of the shirts worn by both teams.

“It was a really proud moment,” she says.

Soon after, Charlotte won the Nottinghamshire Businesswoman of the Year award for 2019. There was then a promotion to the executive board of Pentland Brands, as President of Europe the Middle East and Africa.

But she tells NBS podcast host Mike Sassi that her love of marketing started while she was at school, working as a Saturday sales assistant in a Kettering shoe shop.

She would set herself personal sales targets – and make sure she improved her performance every week.

Charlotte talks candidly about her career, highlighting the mistakes she has made – including a training manual for selling lingerie – the problems she has encountered and how she always needs to believe in the brands she manages.

She also describes her methods for building “unstoppable teams”, that make the best decisions.

“You have better outcomes with a more a more diverse group of people in the room,” she says.

Charlotte sees her primary role as being to create a vision for her brands.

But she is equally passionate about helping young women in business achieve their full potential.

She coaches women, she says, to believe in themselves. Her aim is to give them enough confidence to say Yes, to every opportunity… before they have the chance to say No!

Charlotte’s advice to any young person starting out in business?

Focus on outcomes – on tangible, measurable achievements. And don’t rush your career. Building your skills methodically will give you a greater chance of success.

Her specific advice for young women in business?

Own your own career. Say yes to every opportunity. “Even the scary stuff!” she adds.

“The moments when you feel most uncomfortable are often the moments when you are learning most.”