she joined procter & gamble, as a technologist, then moved to the sales and marketing department. she was then recruited by the milk marketing board, and later joined coca-cola as a brand manager. by 1989, having successfully overseen the merger of the bottling interests of coca-cola uk and schweppes, she was appointed commercial director. in 1993, at the age of 33 she became president of the uk and ireland businesses of coca-cola.