Rob Pickford
Category Trading Operations Manager @Marks and Spencer
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WORK HISTORY
Category Trading Operations Manager @Marks and Spencer
GB
Working alongside both stores and head office to influence and embed the Food Group Strategy right first time. Business partnering a Trading Director and working with Trading managers, buyers, food technologists, marketing and space planning managers to land and shape the strategy to ensure it translates across our store estate. Working with Deputy, Store and Regional managers as well as Heads of Division to identify opportunity within the Category plan support to reduce cost, drive store efficiency and grow sales. Bringing the store voice into all planning meetings, Identifying issues and Self generating solutions gaining relevant buy in, at director level to deliver the solution back to the stores. Accountable for supporting stores to deliver key elements of the business plan through the correct range, store equipment and environment, marketing and profitable product availability as well as reviewing all elements of the store operation to identify where this can be simplified to drive greater efficiency for our store teams.
SKILLS
ABOUT ROB PICKFORD
I\'ve worked in retail for over 25 years, starting as many do from a part time role while at college I quickly got hooked by the diversity of both the people I worked with and those customers I served. As a hardworking individual with a desire to deliver the best results I could while improving all aspects of the current role I was in at that time, helped me to stand out and be rewarded with additional responsibilities. This led to bigger roles and promotions which has kept me enjoying this demanding sector for over a quarter of a century. For me, being in retail, is wanting to implement the strategy every day, embedding process so the output is the same as yesterday only faster,smarter, better and more efficient than it was before. The lessons I learned when I managed the frozen food section remained at my core when I managed a £40m, sq ft multi format store. The diverse workforce that I was part of, made me want to understand what their motivation was, how did I, as an 18 year old kid get the part time worker three times my age to buy into how I wanted him to work alongside me to deliver a great looking, great selling frozen food section? Understanding people as individuals, showing them a vision, coaching and supporting them to get there as a team is why I enjoy working in retail. As I have continued to move into larger roles whether it be as Store Manager, Commercial manager, working as part of a Regional leadership team, or my current role as UK Category Operations manager where i have stakeholders at director level, I have maintained the relentless passion for delivering great results in the most efficient and effective way. Coaching the team in an authentic way, to support and challenge them to deliver great results whilst delivering many successful appointments through delivery of key KPI\'s.My friends have never got it - they tell me that no matter how good a day I have, I still go back into work the next day and have do it all over again - that\'s the hook, to make it better, deliver the process faster, deliver more for the customer, deliver a great job and celebrate with the team.
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