Guy Kitson - BSc Management with placement year
Guy Kitson undertook a placement year at Kenvue 2024-25 and won the Outstanding Impact on Business Award at Nottingham University Business School’s Undergraduate Placement Student Returners Event 2025.
During his placement year at Kenvue, Guy joined the commercial team, which manages sales to major retailers and distributors, including Tesco and Amazon. Working within the Pharmacy Channel, he partnered closely with Alliance Healthcare, the UK’s largest pharmacy wholesaler.
He quickly took on significant responsibility, forecasting £40 million of demand across more than 300 products, while gaining extensive cross-functional experience. He supported the marketing team on over 400 in-store point-of-sale briefs and worked with supply chain colleagues to resolve challenges related to lead times and product availability.
Guy credits Kenvue with accelerating his professional development. He said:
“My confidence grew naturally as I settled into my role, entering a state of autonomy that enhanced my initiative and problem-solving skills. I developed my presentation skills through both large quarterly sales meetings and smaller weekly updates. A highlight was Kenvue’s placement project, which allowed me to apply everything I had learned to a real business challenge.”
Left to right: Joe Economos (Kenvue), Guy Kitson, Jemma Price (Kenvue).
Support from the Business School
Guy said he felt well supported by the Business School’s placement team: “Their monthly check-ins were refreshing and essential, giving me a valuable opportunity to share my experiences and seek advice. They helped me stay connected with the university while sharing my successes and challenges. A dedicated assessment session later in the year made the final requirements crystal clear.”
Like many students, Guy faced early challenges with imposter syndrome and low confidence. He explained: “I initially questioned my ability to contribute alongside experienced colleagues, but I overcame this by actively seeking feedback, celebrating small wins, and recognising my strengths.”
He also learned to navigate ambiguity, adding: “Some tasks arrived with limited guidance, leaving me unsure about the best approach. Over time, I built resilience by learning to ask the right questions, clarifying expectations, and using my problem-solving skills.”
Impact on the company
Guy's contributions extended beyond his core responsibilities. He joined the Kenvue Energy team, an initiative focused on improving employee well-being. He also co-led their largest event to date, a Dragon Boat race for 130 employees to boost engagement across the organisation.
Within the Pharmacy Channel, he revamped bi-weekly team meetings, introducing energisers, a snack rota, and a new scorecard to improve structure and engagement.
On the account side, he played a key role in driving growth for the Alliance Healthcare account. He led in-store marketing strategy and activations, strengthened Keanvue’s in-store presence, and developed toolkits to help respond to regulatory changes, work projected to save millions in sales. His contributions supported 8% account growth and a 16% increase in delivery performance (OTIF-D).
Academic and personal benefits
Guy believes his placement experience transformed his approach to his final year. Guy reflected:
I now have a much more structured, analytical and future-focused mindset. I feel better equipped to understand theories, plan coursework, and anticipate challenges. The graduate offer I received from Kenvue is a direct result of my placement, which gives me incredible peace of mind but also highlights the true value of the experience.
Personally, the placement year proved transformative, enhancing his confidence, clarifying his career direction, and strengthening key competencies, including pro-activity, initiative, problem-solving, and proficiency in Excel. He reported: “I now have a much clearer understanding of my own strengths and weaknesses, and a solid idea of what I want - and don't want - in a future role.”
Advice for future students
Guy believes a placement year is one of the best ways to become more employable, providing real-world experience, professional skills, and valuable industry connections. His advice to any student considering a placement is simple. He said:
Taking a placement year can often lead to a job offer from your host company. Even without a return offer, you become a much more confident and competitive candidate for any graduate role.
My advice is definitely do it. It might feel like you're pausing your degree for a year, but the personal and professional growth you'll experience - along with a regular pay cheque - is well worth it. It's an incredible experience.
Further information
