Aimie Barnes

Global eCommerce Manager, Pepsi Lipton, London
Master of Business in Marketing
Bachelor of Business in Marketing and International Business

She enjoys working in such a fun and fast-paced industry, says Aimie Barnes who is now based in London where she works for Pepsi Lipton.

“There’s a lot of opportunity in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector to work across different areas of the business, and e-commerce is where the future of shopping is. My role involves consulting with local Pepsi and Unilever markets globally to optimise and drive e-commerce sales of Lipton, through a strategy involving assets such as search, media and trial.”

She is proud of what she has achieved in her business career so far.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to work for two great companies, in retailer facing roles, and both Mars Confectionery and Pepsi offered me opportunities to develop customer relationships and see my work come to life in-store and online. There’s nothing quite like seeing your work live and then to see the impact through the results afterwards.”

Memories of AUT
For Aimie, the very first step towards the career she has today was enrolling in AUT’s Bachelor of Business, which was soon followed by a Master of Business.

“I chose the Bachelor of Business because I wanted a degree that had practical components and a university with smaller, more interactive classes. I also wanted to have a good grasp of how business works in the real world.”

She still has fond memories of her time at AUT.

“As part of the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) course, I had the fortune to represent New Zealand at the international SIFE championships with a team of others from AUT. We travelled to Berlin and it was a great experience to compete with teams from around the world.

“My SIFE lecturers in particular were great mentors and really inspiring, and throughout my studies I also got to meet AUT alumni at events, which gave insights into the business world. The achievements I was most proud of during my time at AUT included being a member of AUT’s winning SIFE team, representing New Zealand in the SIFE International Competition in Berlin and receiving a postgraduate scholarship for my master’s degree.”

Advice for other students
Aimie, who graduated from AUT in 2011, has some great advice for other students.

“My advice is to work on your leadership skills that you can't learn from a textbook – like empathy, collaboration and organisation agility – as that can serve you well in the future.”