Heather Tara Wilkinson Email and Phone Number

Operational multi-site retail Area Manager leading and motivating teams to ensure high KPI performance, compliance, efficiency and cost minimisation.Key Responsibilities:- Wholly responsible for the operational success of a multi million pound area.- Directly leading and managing five stores within the Northumberland area for approaching 4 years.- Direct leader for five Store Managers and Personnel leader to 100+ employees.- Ensuring operational excellence and achievement of all business KPIs.- Leadership and development of teams including recruitment/disciplinary, career progression and performance management.- Analytically, strategically and tactically addressing operational challenges with minimal supervision.- Completion of project work relevant to the business in conjunction with all other operational responsibilities. - Training and development responsibilities including regional training roles within meetings and conference settings. - Executing change management in a positive and cooperative style.Key Achievements:- Selected as regional lead for Key Events ensuring the operational success of the business and providing guidance as well as making strategic decisions to benefit 75 stores in the region- Project management of a site extension and grand reopening , with the project spanning from March 2018-November 2018. Responsibilities included recruitment, inventory control, merchandising, compliance and forecasting. - Project management of various site refits.- Mentor to Trainee Area Managers which involves training, developing, managing and supporting the next generation of Area Managers.- Corporate Responsibility lead for the region which includes building relationships with charity partners and organising and running a number of large scale charity events.

I have always been motivated to work and have a strong work ethic. I started my first ever job after just turning fifteen at my local village pub as a waitress. I have continued to work there during term time holidays on and off throughout my education.Over the past seven years the management has changed threefold and I have worked successfully and competently under all three. This highlights my ability to adapt to new management structures and techniques.Working from a young age allowed me to quickly develop me interpersonal and customer service skills whilst gaining an insight into how business' are operated and managed.Furthermore, my time working there has led to the development of my own ideas of leadership and management, in which I place communication to be of quintessential importance.

Upon graduating I went to travel and work in New Zealand for six months. Over this duration I had several temporary jobs which allowed me to raise the funds to purchase a camper-van and travel the country. For two months of this time I worked in a well known and respected winery in Queenstown. In the restaurant we delivered a high standard of food and service. Additionally I had to absorb an in depth knowledge of all of the wine products and the wine making process in a short space of time. There was also an aspect of sales in the role as we persuaded customers to purchase bulk orders of wine and join the Gibbston Valley wine club. I was highly successful in this position, signing up many new members to the wine club during my time there.

As already mentioned, whilst travelling New Zealand I undertook various work. New Zealand is primarily an agricultural driven economy and hence a lot of work available,e specially to backpackers, is hands on work in the fruit orchards. As I arrived in the winter the only seasonal job available was winter pruning of the Kiwi trees in the orchards. This proved to be both physically and mentally challenging as it is work I was completely unfamiliar with and was paid on a commission only.However, I was able to quickly adapt to this working environment in order to raise the required funds to progress to the next stage of my trip.

Upon arriving in New Zealand I quickly found work for a sales company. This role included independently approaching residents at their home and pursue door to door sales. More specifically to raise money for New Zealand's Wheelchair rugby team. This was challenging work which forced me to become extremely proactive and efficient as the pay was commission based only.This was a great first experience upon arrival in New Zealand and made me a more well rounded and grounded person.

During my studies I worked part time at the University's Student Union Bar. In this role I developed my customer service skills and worked calmly and efficiently in busy and pressurized situations. I was also responsible for helping to train new members of staff. Furthermore, working for the Students Union allowed me to fully engage in all aspects of University life.The money I earned funded my travels to America to work at s summer camp for three months, and my travels to New Zealand to work and travel for six months following my graduation where I gained invaluable life experience.

During my time at University I was involved in various telephone campaigns for the Alumni Relations department. In this role it was my responsibility to maintain good relations with the University's alumni and to gently persuade them to donate money back to the University. I was highly successful in this role and produced the highest sales for the three consecutive weeks of the campaign whereby I was awarded caller of the week. I also worked for the International Relations department in which it was my responsibility to contact prospective international postgraduate students, primarily from Asia, and answer any questions they had whilst promoting the University of Stirling as an excellent choice of study for them. I developed my communication skills in this role due to an obtuse language barrier which was both challenging and rewarding.