Matt on LinkedIn13 Feb 2024 08:21
“This is no ordinary journey.
In 2012, Ryan Woodward left school at 16. He needed a job close to his parents’ house, so landed an apprenticeship as Purchasing Assistant at Myprotein.
After yet another year of near-death growing pains, in 2012 I decided to put all THG’s Exec team in one room with me, so I could get live updates of all areas in the group. This meant 9 people were squeezed into a small room in the middle of the office, becoming THG's epicentre. Most people would pass through the Exec room every day, wearing out the cheap carpet tiles faster than the rest of the building.
It wasn’t long before Ryan was known to THG’s senior team, despite being 16. His job required him to raise purchase orders and get them signed by the then CFO – John Gallemore. This meant daily trips to the Exec room, arguing with John as to why we had to spend cash we probably didn’t have 🙈. Ryan’s bosses knew it was a painful task, and so delegated the job to the new recruit.
Ryan’s resilience quickly became legendary. Within a matter of weeks, he’d step into the Exec room with a big smile, win most debates with John, and walk away with his papers signed. He’d often showcase a cheeky, confident persona - lifting moods with funny stories about himself that sounded like the Inbetweeners TV show.
But Ryan is so much more than a “cheeky chappy”. His progress through THG since leaving school is inspirational to anyone who doesn’t think A-Levels or University is for them.
At 17, Ryan became Myprotein’s packaging buyer, a £2m pa spend back in 2013. By the time he was officially an adult, Ryan was promoted to Raw Material Buyer at Myprotein, negotiating £20m pa of spend.
Within 4 years of leaving school, aged 20, Ryan had risen to Head of Raw Materials at Myprotein, reporting into the Myprotein Board. This meant he travelled the world (China, US, EU), setting up direct supply chains as we globalised the Myprotein brand.
When Ryan was in Kentucky, he was still too young to order a beer, and yet we’d tasked him with setting up the supply chain for THG’s newly built US manufacturing site 🤣
In early 2021, we further strengthened Myprotein's supply chain by making 3 acquisitions. The largest of these was Claremont, a major UK based ingredients supplier. Ryan’s 9 years in Myprotein’s supply chain made him our in-house specialist, despite only being 25. Naturally he led the £50m acquisition, becoming General Manager at completion.
Last year, Ryan went on to become the General Manager for the whole of Myprotein’s manufacturing division. Few people know that Myprotein is a major manufacturer of bars, snacks and drinks for many of the UK’s biggest household brands, while also producing Myprotein's vast range of products. Ryan is the man leading these efforts for THG.
Last week was National Apprentice Week. For those interested in what young, hungry, talented people can achieve, look no further than Ryan. The UK needs mo
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