Platinum Quarterly Speaker: Simon Lacey

Simon is the founder of Idea To Shelf Ltd – a consultancy specialising in fast-tracking growth for SMEs with great ideas in the fast  moving consumer goods sector.

From strategic planning to leading business transition to mentoring through to negotiation with the trade, Simon’s business offers focused & effective commercial and strategic support and commitment to raising the bar.

Simon has over 28 years experience in FMCG, working in various Sales, Marketing & NPD positions from large FMCG Blue Chips (such as Colgate, Carlsberg & UB) to fast growing premium businesses such as Kettle Chips (Business Unit Controller & NPD)  At Plum Baby  Simon spend 4 years as  Sales Director and grew sales 16x and achieve a  £10m+ exit. From 2011-2015, Simon spent 4 years as Commercial Director for Lily’s Kitchen – one of the most dynamic petfood brands to emerge in recent years.

In 2015 Simon co-founded Grocery Accelerator (now Mission Ventures) – the first ever dedicated Accelerator for Food & Drink brands in London, which has now raised over £4m for start up brands and helped steer the growth of over 60 brands

Since 2018 Simon has worked as a full time Independent Specialist Strategic & Commercial Consultant  helping a select handful of high potential brands grow.  From trade marketing to raising investment, building powerful to running seminars and mentoring, including several overseas brands. Confidentiality 100% assured with the focus on achieving real sustainable growth.

Current Clients include launching a freeze dried Petfood brand, UK’s first natural vitamin brand, mushroom coffee brand and Australian meal topper brand.

Uniquely, alongside running his strategic ‘Idea to Shelf’ consultancy, Simon (based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire) is a part time endurance athlete and regularly competes in multi-day adventure racing. 

Recently Simon has completed Racing The Planet’s 4 Desert  self-supported Ultramarathon Series of 4 races in the Namib (2019), Gobi (2024), Atacama (2015) and most unique of all…Antarctica (2022) which totalled running over 1000km in the desert. Simon has also summited several of the world’s highest peaks (including Denali, Aconcagua, Elbrus and Kilimanjaro) and is one of only a small group of people to have ever ski’ed  to the North Pole in the Polar Challenge (2006) – a memorable and highly demanding  500km Ski Race over 25 days in extreme conditions over frozen sea-ice with temperatures as low as -45c and fending off polar bears. Furthermore has also completed the Marathon des Sables, the Last Secret in Bhutan, Marmotte Bike race, two Ironman and in the UK Lands End – John O Groats on two wheels.

B4 Platinum Quarterly Breakfasts are only open to B4 Members. Please contact richard@b4-business.com to find out about joining our next breakfast in August (the next breakfast has been replaced by www.obs2025.com)