For the love of… supermarkets.

Having a genuine love of supermarkets is not a common trait. In fact, here in Australia we spend a fair amount of time complaining about them. But for Phillip Mignone (2012), recently made Head of Food Strategy and Programme Delivery at Marks and Spencer in London, the love is strong—detectable even via an online interview on his Sunday evening.

It blossomed during his years at the innovative and award-winning Foodland at Frewville, where he worked during his law degree, and revealed itself as a passion after some life-changing advice from his Mum.

Like many of us, Phillip wasn’t particularly certain about his future back at school. He was active, keen on athletics, cross country and basketball. One of four siblings, he even defected from his brother’s house of Medlin to Hill House because of its sporting reputation. As for his study, he loved Geography under Mr Miller and Ms Hunt but is particularly grateful to Ms Rutherford for her influence on his subject decisions that kept breadth in his choices and gave him options.

Despite never undertaking Legal Studies at school, Phillip went to the University of Adelaide to study a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Italian). His tertiary education included exchanges in Leeds (for law) and Rome (for Italian) and, once he’d graduated, he began a career in commercial law. But his heart wasn’t in it.

“Then mum gave me the most influential piece of advice I've ever had. She suggested that for the next three months I write down every brand or company that I interact with and enjoy. This would create a list of potential workplaces, all that I align with their mission and product. I could then go for roles within them, that weren’t necessarily based on me being a lawyer. It was all about getting me somewhere I felt connected and passionate, so I could ultimately find my space and thrive.

I found that most of my companies were food related, because I'm incredibly gluttonous, but also supermarket related. Those years I’d spent learning about running a successful one at Foodland Frewville caused me to take a step back. I knew there was another way I could drive change in people’s lives, and I went from being a lawyer to entering the grad program at Coles in 2020.”

When you consider all that followed, a step in the right direction feels like a more appropriate description, even living in Melbourne with a pandemic in the mix. Within weeks of his first shift on Valentine’s Day people were vying for toilet paper. Then there were the Lismore floods, followed by bush fires. He saw not only how quickly you can mobilise but also how much people depend on you to make sure that you land things well, straight away. His passion to help his community grew.

Phil’s trajectory in the supermarket space has since been steep and swift, and not all by accident. While randomly selected to interview his Chief Operating Officer when he first started, the email he sent six months later, offering to work with him directly, was off his own bat. It was ignored so two months later he sent another one, and received an email from his Executive General Manager, who knew of the repeated contact, asking if he could take him on. Long story short, he worked so hard that eventually the Chief Operating Officer invited him over to Harvard to assist him with his MBA and bring the results back to Coles. Over the next five years he worked closely with both, even leading their culture survey to bring in the best score on record.

They put him forward to support and travel with Coles CEO Leah Weckert with whom he became close. When he told her he thought he needed more international experience, it was she who put him forward for the job at Marks and Spencer. Just four months into that overseas role, he was invited to step up again, now sitting on their Leadership Team. No matter where he works, he ensures people are always aware of his intentions and he advises others to do the same.

Phil is quick to credit Pembroke for some of his success too.

Neither his law degree nor Italian study are going to waste either. “I think the vast majority of time, the way I structure my thought process or attack a problem comes from law, and it’s always handy for contracts.” Living so close to Europe has made staying fluent in his second language all the more possible via a fast and affordable trip to Rome.

On top of the obvious responsibility that comes with Phil’s current job, it’s true that they kind of revere supermarkets in the UK. They also share a deep love for prepped food. Phil tells me that the second highest selling product to water in Marks and Spencer is a chicken Caesar wrap! One that he vouches for in its deliciousness.

So, will he ever come home? Well, he misses his pooch and his family. He’s loath to let a penchant for marmite dusted cheese balls overtake his love of vegemite. And the way the Brits mess up the colour codes for packaging crisps (aka chips) still frustrates him.

But for now, he’s found his ‘duvet-flip’. That thing that makes him keen to flick off the covers and get up each morning, despite the ever-overcast London sky.

Kate Holland (1992)
Old scholar