Humble beginnings
"I come from a small town called Llanelli in South Wales. It’s not far from Swansea and I loved growing up there. My first job was on a Saturday at my local Superdrug. I absolutely loved it and I couldn’t believe how quickly I went from Saturday boy to Supervisor to Assistant Manager and then to Store Manager. This was all down to having great Managers around me who saw my potential and pushed me into the roles that moved me up the ladder.
Being part of Superdrug helped me see the opportunities at Head Office and I knew that’s ultimately where I wanted to be, so I went to Swansea University and did a degree in Business Information Technology. I loved management, but I knew I could impact the business on a wider level with the knowledge I was learning at university.
I worked in Superdrug part-time during my degree and then joined Savers in Swansea as a Supervisor for my final year. In 2012 a Junior Buyer role became available at the Savers Head Office in Dunstable and I jumped at the chance of joining the commercial team."
The world at my feet
"The next 8 years were brilliant. After 9 months as a Junior Buyer, I was promoted to Buyer and I focused on a couple of categories. One of them being International Buying. And it’s here that I really found my passion for learning all about different methods to market and different cultures. I got to travel quite a bit and twice a year I went to China to meet up with Buyers from across the AS Watson world to share knowledge and best-practice."
Adapting to different challenges
"AS Watson is such an incredibly diverse business. And one of the great aspects is the option to try new things. In 2020 I covered a colleague’s maternity leave. She was the Marketing Manager and was responsible for the Savers website and I thought it would be an interesting challenge. What we didn’t plan for was COVID. And the website traffic went off the scale. When Kelley came back from maternity, she went back into the Marketing Manager role and I built a team around the website. It’s what I do today and the advances in AI are bringing about such positive change for the website and delivering an amazing service for Savers customers."
The Innoteam
""AS Watson is like a family to me. We look out for one another and we help each other. We’ve got access to visible leaders and you’re never far away from someone who can support you or guide you. AS Watson run a taskforce called the InnoTeam. They invite people from around the world to apply for this prestigious opportunity and 24 people from every corner for the AS Watson world get together to work on the innovations and ideas that will help everyone in the future.
I was aware of this team, but thought I wasn’t ready to apply. My Commercial Director did though, and I couldn’t believe it when an email arrived inviting me to Hong Kong as part of the InnoTeam. It’s been the most fascinating experience. Working with some of the brightest people in the business. And they are so open to ideas and encouraging you to be the best you can be."
Focus on the future and never forget your past
"I’m really proud of where I come from. And I know AS Watson is a great start for anybody who wants a great career. Wherever they begin in the AS Watson world. I look back 19 years to the 16 year old Saturday boy and I can’t quite believe the journey I’ve had. But the journey is still going and I know with the support of the team around me and the amazing opportunities that will come within the AS Watson world, that the journey will always be exciting and eye-opening."
