Careers Angel Profile: Steve Gregory
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| Name | Steve Gregory |
|---|---|
| Email Address | stephen.gregory@durham.ac.uk |
| Industries/Sectors | Retail |
| Employer | C & A |
| Position | Systems Development Manager |
| Experience | 55-60 years (approx.) |
| Degree | Theology & English (graduated in 1968) BA General Studies |
| Other Qualifications | Postgrad Diploma in Theology |
| Internships | N/A |
| Information | In 34 years with C&A, I worked in UK, Belgium and Germany in a variety of business areas.I started with a 5 year traineeship in 6 towns (including Belfast in the early '70s, which was 'interesting'), leading to 4 years in Ipswich as manager of a 1200sq.m. store with a payroll of 250+. That led to 15 years in the London Head Office, moving from Buying Administration , through planning of Turnover and Profit, via (business - based) development and support of Merchandise Information systems, into a spell as Systems Dept. manager in the mid 1980s. Between 1988-1993,I worked on a variety of in-house systems, especially one for Order Management, used by buyers in each of 9 European countries , finishing with a 1-year training and roll-out programme for about 400 people in London. From 1993 to 2004 ,living in UK , I worked 5 days every week in Duesseldorf or Brussels, helping to specify, develop & implement versions of that system for pan-European buying.We also investigated a replacement system from an outside company. In spite of all the systems-related work I have done, I always thought of myself as a retailer. The customer HAD to be the focus of everything we did, from forecasting how many white shirts a shop in Paris (or Peterborough!) could sell in December next year (and so how many need to be bought when , from which manufacturer with what delivery schedule) to finding the cheapest way to decide on/implement price reductions. That simple task includes telling 700 shops in 11 countries what to do (in their own languages ) and getting confirmation that each has done it,as well as developing procedures and software for data-recording, ticket production and so on.So many details to take into account!!In fact , in the trade, people say that 'retail is detail' - get the details right , and the customers keep coming to you;get them wrong,and you give the advantage to your competitors. I loved that game - if you think it might be for you,I'll be happy to give any information I can!! |
| Things I Wish I'd Known | 1) Retailing is largely down to understanding people - customers, colleagues, suppliers and yourself, plus analysis, planning, hard work and a lot of adrenaline. 2) Regular weekend working puts a strain on all kinds of family and social relationships. 3) Working outside UK is a lot easier if you will try to learn and use languages other than English. |