How did you land the job?

Wisynco Group, one of Jamaica’s largest distributors and manufacturers, is a very progressive and innovative company that is constantly evolving and as such, always has new career opportunities popping up all the time. In 2007, the Ocean Spray brand was booming and on the rise, and the business needed to have a dedicated person for the brand. At the time Zachary Harding, the head of marketing, recruited me from Cable and Wireless (now LIME) where I was the Senior Marketing Communications Manager responsible for bmobile and home phone. I remember being interviewed by William Mahfood who gave me a newspaper and had me analyse some ads, asked me a series of questions related to my experience, but also most importantly about my life’s perspectives and values. In a few days, I thankfully got the call, and the rest is history.

How long have you been in the job?

I have been the Country Manager for Ocean Spray for five years. During this time my portfolio has grown to also include Powerade, Fanta, Dasani, Vitamin Water and locally manufactured CranWATA, Coca-Cola, Schweppes and Sprite.

What’s great about your job?

My spirit would have to say the culture at Wisynco and the great people I work with. The nerd in me would say facing and overcoming the challenges in such a dynamic role that keeps me on my toes and pushes me to be the best. I always thought I was a communicator, but now having to align a cross-functional team of over 400 people, including production, demand planning, sales, merchandising, promotions, and sponsorship to achieving my brand’s goals, pushes me to be a leader. But overall, it’s fun. I get to be creative, travel, meet new people locally and internationally, stay active in the development of Jamaican culture, and there is constant opportunity for career and personal growth.

Tell us something that we might not know about the Wisynco brand.

The Wisynco team is very passionate about Jamaica and improving the quality of life for its people through innovation. Our team is always coming up with new products and exploring how to expand the company’s footprint. Back in the 1970s, Wisynco even tried its hand in the fashion industry with a company called ‘High Fashion’ which sold various garments. It’s no longer around today, but it just goes to show that you never know what they will come up with next.

Where can consumers find out more about the Wisynco brand?

They can log on to our Wisynco website at www.wisynco.com; find us on Facebook at www.facebook.como/CranWATA or follow us on Twitter: @CranWATAWOW. They can also give us a call at 1-888-947-9626 or simply stay tuned to the media, as we always try to keep our partners and consumers informed with the latest and greatest.

WIN! WIN! WIN!

Tamara Ward, Coca-Cola and CranWATA Country Manager, has five gift baskets to give away to five lucky Thursday Life readers. Each basket has four 20-ounce bottles of Coca-Cola, four 600-ml bottles of CranWATA, a Coke T-shirt, and a pair of tickets to the Jamaica versus USA football match on September 7 at the National Stadium at 7:00 pm.

To win a gift basket, simply answer the following question: Name eight beverages which Tamara Ward oversees for the Wisynco brand.

E-mail the correct answer to marketingpromotion@jamaicaobserver.com by 5:00 pm tomorrow, Friday, August 24. Please include your full name, occupation and telephone number.