Debbie MacLennan | Product Development at COCO

The first time Debbie MacLennan heard of COCO Chocolatier was when her friend gifted her a bar of chocolate for her birthday. A couple of years later, she is the brand's Product Development Manager.

Having joined COCO's team just under one year ago, Debbie has already created a number of award-winning chocolate collections, curating artistic collaborations with important Scottish names such as Timorous Beasties and David Mach, as well as international artists such as French duo Atelier Bingo.

"There is no typical day in product development. Each day you're working on a different element of the process. It could mean coming up with ideas, having a look at what's out on the market, speaking to artists & designers, working with our chocolatiers on new flavours... There are many different aspects of the job, and here at COCO we work on multiple projects at a time".

After over 10 years of experience in the field, Debbie stresses that in order to succeed in Product Development it's essential to master both the creative side as well as the technical skills required by the job. As a final tip to young and aspiring Product Developers, she explains how the most important thing to keep in mind is that ''a product has to look good, but also work for the business".