GET TO KNOW
“
Additionally, more retailers are
investing in online platforms rather than
focusing on bricks-and-mortar. This requires
a completely different mindset because,
for example, the replacement cycle alone is
much faster online.
How do you deal with stress and
unwind outside of the office?
I’m a keen rower. I also love good food and
simply chilling out. I spend a large amount
of my time playing with my four-year-old
which keeps me busy!
If you could go back and change one
career decision, what would it be?
I don’t regret much but I would’ve enjoyed
working in the US but was never able
as I had a young family to support. Of
course, I do still have the
opportunity to move across the pond in the
future, so who knows what will happen!
What are the region-specific
challenges when implementing new
technologies in Europe?
Brexit is creating uncertainty because we
have no idea how everything will pan out. For
example, fashion retailer, Next has recently
put out a statement saying that a no-deal
Brexit could lead to disruption at UK ports
and higher prices in its shops. However,
Brexit hasn’t caused any major issues yet
and retailers are just carrying on as before,
rather than waiting for a resolution.
More generally in Europe, challenges can
arise if tools don’t have interfaces or teams
WHEN I
GRADUATED,
MAINFRAMES
WERE BEING
SUPERSEDED BY
MINI COMPUTERS,
WHICH MEANT MY
KNOWLEDGE AND
PASSION
FOR TECH
WAS USEFUL.
that can support a multilingual audience.
Other challenges include varied labour costs
and economies running at different rates
with different competitive price points.
Some nations are also far ahead in terms of
digitisation, for example the UK, Netherlands,
France and Germany, so need to be mindful
when doing business with nations that may
not have adopted broadband or online
shopping to the same extent.
What changes to your job role have
you seen in the last year and how do
you see these developing in the next
12 months?
In the last year we introduced a COO to the
company who has allowed me to take a step
back from the day-to-day so that I can focus
more on strategy which has been a great
help. Although, as a CEO you can never really
step away from profit, sales and cash flow,
can you?!
What advice would you offer
somebody aspiring to obtain C-level
position in your industry?
You need to be prepared to put in the ‘hard
yards’ to make it to the C-Suite. I’d also
recommend working to the best of your ability
and not getting too hung up on the little
things. If you do a great job, you’ll get there. n
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