CROSSMARK Australia and New Zealand CEO Andy Kirk today announced the appointment of Caroline Knight as the company’s new director of client services.

Knight, who has more than 15 years experience in retail, joins CROSSMARK from demonstration, sampling and experiential marketing company DemoPlus, where she was CEO.

At DemoPlus, she was responsible for developing shopper strategy and creative and campaign execution within the retail environment and led a 2,000-strong team.

At CROSSMARK, Knight is responsible for leading the growth of CROSSMARK’s Speed to Market division to develop services to help its clients stay ahead in the ever-changing retail environment. Her appointment is effective immediately and she reports to CROSSMARK managing director Polly Yule.

“Caroline joins CROSSMARK from a stellar career in the industry and brings senior leadership skills to the business. We are entering an exciting time with the growth of retailer activity and the introduction of retailer technologies in store,” CROSSMARK Australia and New Zealand CEO Andy Kirk said.

“Caroline will use her years of grocery experience to lead our Speed to Market team as we look to continue to grow our business. We are delighted that she has chosen to join the CROSSMARK team,”

Commenting on her appointment, Knight said, “From the moment I met Andy and Polly I knew CROSSMARK was a business that ‘walked the walk’.

“The leadership, culture and systems form a company that creates robust solutions for its customers, truly delivers and innovates for the future, as well as being a great place to work.  I am proud to be joining the team and am excited to have the opportunity to develop tactical services to meet the future challenges of retailers and grocery suppliers in the Australian market.”

Born in the UK, Knight began her retail career at UK’s second largest full service field marketing agency, REL Field Marketing, where she was sales director. She led the flagship Sainsbury’s account and 80 other FMCG grocery suppliers, delivering services to increase sales in the grocery channel.

During her time at REL, Knight won a Gold Award from the UK Field Marketing Counsel for ground-breaking work with Sainsbury’s on the measurement and improvement of the customer shopping experience.