Results-driven Senior Management Leader, with extensive senior-level experience within both the B2C and B2B sectors excelling in the luxury high value marketplace. Experienced in multi-site National management of both physical stores and online accounts. Skilled in new business development through strategic planning & implementation. identifying new customer leads, cultivating new relationships whilst strengthening existing customer relationships. Able to form strong working relationships with clients at all levels, facilitating development of mutually beneficial business relationships through overseeing exemplary account management. Exceptional team-builder, adept at assembling and managing top performing teams to exceed company performance targets. By being a coach & mentor to my direct reports I'm able to ensure the team is driven towards the shared goals of the business. Excellent communication skills, both internal and external of the business, with an understanding that different audiences will require different methods of presentations, be it the end consumer, colleagues or suppliers. Able to prioritise & organise activities to achieve defined objectives, with the ability to translate business requirements into major revenue opportunities.
Island Spring Sourcing Ltd, sources and supplies furniture for many different clients as well as selling products online under their own brands. We have an online retail only business, three wholesale brands offering different outdoor product ranges to a large network of physical and online retailers, a furniture sourcing brand, and our own warehouse & logistics business. I have overall responsibility for the 6 different companies / brands within the Island Spring Group. This covers all decisions pertaining to pricing, forecasting, ordering, marketing, service agreements, contractual supplier agreements, establishing new ordering procedures, operations, logistics & client growth. My overriding success during my time here, aside from the successful sale, was the setup of a new wholesale brand from scratch, which was so successful it won an industry award for Best Outdoor Furniture Supplier for 2022, which in its first year of business was a fantastic achievement as it’s voted by members of the trade
Luxury furniture manufacturer & retailer dealing with retail & trade clients throughout the UK & Worldwide Sales Director As Sales Director I was accountable for directing all sales activities within the company, maximising revenue & profits through strategic planning, activating co-ordinated marketing & sales strategies, and maintaining the focus and motivation of the Sales Teams. Due to restructuring the role required reorganisation of the Sales Teams, whilst also overhauling the process functions & reporting within Marketing, Buying & Merchandising, Design & Production, Customer Services & HR. The role ended prematurely due to the impact of the first Lockdown in early 2020.
Part of the Fenwick Group, one of the UK's premier Department Store Groups Divisional Sales Manager - Home Category (09/2016 to 05/2019) Responsible for the delivery of exceptional retail, operational & commercial standards throughout the Home Division. Ensure attainment of company performance, customer experience, profit and strategic goals & targets, in order to maximise sales & exceed customer service expectations, through the leadership of a team of Sales Managers, Consultants & Advisors. Coordinate closely with buyers to ensure relevance of product / stock to customer needs, in addition to actively seeking new brands and ranges to reflect Bentalls culture and maximise sales opportunities. Analyse business performance to identify areas of improvement and develop remedial plans. Play key role in overall day-to-day store management.
Led daily operations of Furniture Department, with responsibility for managing and training all employees in sales, administration and customer after-service functions. Evaluate supplier performance in conjunction with product quality, margins, market trends, competitors' strategies & our customer demand to support departments buying plans & forecasts. Oversee sales team to deliver required training and drive attainment of sales targets. Control department's bi-annual stock takes and clearance sale events. Overall responsibility for dept's customer service policies and procedures in line with store's policies and legislation.
A furniture and accessories retailer that operated concession sites through four department stores across the UK. Director of Retail Operations Directed all Retail Operations for multi-site retailer with responsibility for over 60 employees and a multi-million pound turnover. I controlled operating budgets for the group, including all pricing and agreement of external costs, setting RRPs and sale prices, and defining sales targets. I also managed the buying of all display models and stock for four stores, including negotiating the terms & service contracts with our suppliers. Worked closely with the Managing Director regarding sales analysis, strategic planning and setting targets for each store.
The Furniture Union Store Manager April 2002 – April 2003