Profiles
"Until I joined Tesco I wasn't aware of the wide range of graduate programmes that
they offered."
Nicola
Finance
Executive
Programme
Claire
Managing Director - Extra Format
BSc Economics and Sociology, Loughborough University
Joined Tesco 1996
After graduating I looked for a graduate programme that would give me the opportunity to face new challenges and experiences every day. The Tesco programme appealed because it offered the early responsibility and autonomy to make my own decisions that I was looking for.
I quickly moved into a Trading Manager position in one of our biggest shops and then managed five different stores. One of the challenges I faced was acting quickly when the electricity went off - the checkouts failed and the fridges and freezers switched off! Having to make the call on what to do next in such pressurised situations is what I thrived on.
The best thing about working with and managing such large store teams is seeing people develop. It's great to be able to spot talented people and help them towards a promotion or move onto another role. Giving people the confidence and skills they need to succeed is very rewarding.
After developing my own leadership skills in store, I moved to Head Office to head up the Resourcing Team for stores and distribution. This involved ensuring that our stores and distribution sites have the right people in the right roles, and that these people have the opportunity to further their careers with Tesco. This role broadened my skills and knowledge and also helped me understand the complexities of our stores from a different perspective.
In 2007 I was promoted to Stores Director. In this role I led a group of stores and developed the capability of our Store Managers, oversaw the performance of stores, met Key Performance Indicators and drove standards to meet the needs of my customers. I thoroughly enjoyed this role, I felt both challenged and rewarded, knowing my experience had really helped make a difference.
Then in 2009 I was asked to be Operations Director for Tesco Extra. My job since then has been to lead the Extra Format. My day to day work could involve visiting stores, signing off new shops or having meetings with my immediate team and colleagues. As you can probably imagine, running the whole of the Extra format means a lot of travelling, recently I have visited stores from Dumfries all the way down to Dover.
Extras have grown massively over the last couple of years and we are adding new stores all the time. Today I am the Managing Director of the Format, a varied, exciting and challenging role. As well as overseeing the operation of the Format, I also look after the strategic plans for Extras which involves a lot of work with other parts of the business including commercial – deciding what products to put in our stores, and property – designing and building our stores.
As for the future - my main aim is to do the very best at whatever it is I'm doing. I think that as long as you're not scared of a bit of hard work, and you have the determination and will to succeed, you'll go far at Tesco.