MEET OUR INSPIRING ROLE MODELS

TO CELEBRATE 10 YEARS OF THE WORLDPAY EVERYWOMAN IN RETAIL AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME, WE TALK TO TWO WINNERS TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES A GREAT ROLE MODEL

WOMEN IN RETAIL WHO MAKE AN IMPACT

‘I hope I inspire other women in business’

“THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE NOMINEES FOR THE WORLDPAY EVERYWOMAN RETAIL AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME ARE TRULY INSPIRING,” SAYS W&H EDITORIAL DIRECTOR SUE JAMES, WHO JOINS THE PANEL OF JUDGES FOR THE FIFTH YEAR THAT W&H HAS SUPPORTED THE PROGRAMME. EVERYWOMAN, THE NETWORK FOR WOMEN IN BUSINESS, WAS FOUNDED BY MAXINE BENSON MBE AND KAREN GILL MBE. MAXINE SAYS: “THIS YEAR WE ARE FOCUSING ON SUCCESSFUL ROLE MODELS FOR WOMEN IN ALL AREAS OF RETAIL.” LEIGH NELSON IS STORE DIRECTOR AND DISPENSING OPTICIAN AT SPECSAVERS NEWTOWNARDS IN NORTHERN IRELAND AND LAST YEAR WAS NAMED AS THE 2016 WORLDPAY EVERYWOMAN IN RETAIL AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR AFTER REACHING A SALES TARGET OF £1.2M. LEIGH IS MARRIED WITH TWO SONS.

WHEN I JOINED SPECSAVERS 17 YEARS AGO,

I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD BECOME A

RETAIL DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT OF MY LOCAL CHAMBER OF TRADE AND, THE REAL ACCOLADE, THE WORLDPAY EVERYWOMAN IN RETAIL AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR.

I AIM TO INSPIRE OTHER WOMEN IN RETAIL AND MY OWN ROLE MODEL IS DAME MARY PERKINS, WHO TOGETHER WITH HER HUSBAND CO-FOUNDED SPECSAVERS. SHE SHOWED ME THAT YOU COULD BE A SUCCESS IN BUSINESS AND STILL HAVE A LIFE AND FAMILY.

I ENJOYED MY JOB AT SPECSAVERS SO MUCH THAT IT DIDN’T FEEL LIKE WORK. I PROGRESSED TO BECOME RETAIL DIRECTOR AND STARTED A NEW BRANCH OF SPECSAVERS. WITH A FREE HAND TO IMPLEMENT MY OWN IDEAS, I WANTED TO MAKE IT VERY MUCH A LOCAL STORE WHERE WE KNEW ALL THE CUSTOMERS. I DID THIS THROUGH EMPLOYING STAFF WITH GREAT PEOPLE SKILLS. FOR EXAMPLE, MY MANAGER USED TO WORK IN THE LOCAL PUB AND WAS ALREADY ON FIRST-NAME TERMS WITH MANY CUSTOMERS!

WHEN I STARTED WORKING IN SPECSAVERS,

I DIDN’T HAVE ANY OPTICAL QUALIFICATIONS, SO I ENROLLED FOR A DISTANCE LEARNING COURSE TO BECOME A FELLOW OF THE ASSOCIATION OF THE BRITISH DISPENSING OPTICIANS. I WAS PREGNANT AT THAT TIME BUT DURING MY MATERNITY LEAVE I COULDN’T STAY AWAY FROM THE BUSINESS AND ENDED UP DOING THE PAYROLL! MY HUSBAND DAVID, WHO WAS WORKING AS AN ENGINEER AT THE TIME, WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF MY PARTNERSHIP AND NINE YEARS AGO, HE RETRAINED TO BECOME THE LAB MANAGER IN MY PRACTICE.

MY ELDEST SON WAS GIVEN AN AUTISTIC DIAGNOSIS AT THE SAME TIME I FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT AGAIN. THANKS TO MY SUPPORTIVE TEAM AT SPECSAVERS, WHO RAISED MONEY FOR US, WE MANAGED TO COMPLETE A SPEECH AND EYE CONTACT PROGRAMME CALLED SON-RISE WITH ADAM WHEN HE WAS LITTLE, WHICH REALLY HELPED HIS DEVELOPMENT. NOW THE STORE IS

ABLE TO OFFER A SERVICE DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

MY TEAM HAS GONE FROM FOUR TO 21, SO THE NEXT STEP IS MOVING TO BIGGER PREMISES. I ALSO WANT TO ESTABLISH A HEARING CENTRE WITHIN THE

STORE. BEING NAMED RETAIL AMBASSADOR OF THE YEAR WAS A TREMENDOUS ACCOLADE AND WHEN I RETURNED FROM THE CEREMONY I FOUND THE TEAM HAD DECORATED THE

STORE TO WELCOME ME BACK!