As an area manager I am responsible for 15 stores (120 + members of staff) across London and South East England, including five key superstore locations. The duties and responsibilities I deliver are:• Coach my teams to ensure they deliver on key strategies.• Drive sales/business performance and ensure all KPI targets and profit objectives are delivered across an area of retail stores.• Develop a strategic plan with my store managers in line with company objectives, provide effective leadership, development and performance management across the area.• Exceptional customer experience provided by leading and creating an inspired selling culture within all my stores.• Enhance the ability to build long standing relationships, luxury standards delivered across my stores whether in first class team presentation or store presentation including VM standards and marketing campaigns.• Involvement of wider projects for the business.• Deliver key company strategies through brand management.• Maximise area performance; increase sales, improve margins and reduce costs.• Monitor competitor activity effectively to maintain a leading edge, keeping ahead of trends.• Improve operations and procedures to ensure the customer receives a memorable experience.• Manage effectively any closure stores which have been identified. • Create a high performing culture through effective people management and clear succession plans.• Create team engagement through providing inspirational leadership and clear channels of communication. • Ensure that high quality staff are recruited, retained and developed in line with area succession plans.• Lead, motivate and develop store management teams ensuring that managers strive to exceed existing performance standards.• Effective networking through direct contact with internal and external stakeholders.

My promotion into the Bluewater store was a selection from the National Sales Manager after standout results being achieved in my first managerial role within the group. Clear objectives were set around driving sales, cost control, KPI achievement and improving market share in Bluewater. During year one, my accomplishments were:• Managed poor performing staff through coaching, personal action plans and performance management.• Successful recruitment on new hires and brought specialists into the store.• Transformed visual merchandising standards.• (CRM) Customer relationship management commenced with store giving clarity to team of customer expectations and taking customer experience to the next level, measured via NPS.• Improved and developed repairs business by 85% v L/Y through improved jobber selection around both quality and margin. A dedicated repairs specialist in-store improved stock management.At the Annual Group Awards Ceremony, I lead my team to the award of Best Branch Accolade, Repairs and Product Services most improved. Through my coaching and mentoring, a college was also able to achieve Longlines Manager of the Year and Sales Consultant of the year for the region.In my second year at the Bluewater store, further achievements were:• Drove high margin products in-store impacting on margin and profit. This resulted in a 33% increase in the diamond business.• Developed and coached team within customer experience to the highest level and built a loyal client base.• Created a total cost awareness from the team impacting on bottom line profit.• Drove top 5 watch brands – this achieved on average a 45% growth v L/Y.

Prior to my appointment, the store had not met the original forecasts and several areas within the store needed a shift in performance and standards. My successes were:• Improved customer service• Developed teams knowledge and ability• Archived and exceed KPI targets including mystery shopper programme• Increased store turnover• Improved stock managementStandards throughout the store improved dramatically, with runners-up position in the Annual Awards Ceremony achieved. I also won Manager of the Year in 2006.

My role as Area Manager was to manage and control 20 stores within the South East region. I delivered the following:• Drove sales and exploited commercial opportunities – Annual group turnover of £22 million +14% increase in last year +8% v company average• Project managed the opening of 20 new stores around the country including Portsmouth, Southampton and Cardiff. I was responsible for all recruitment, training of the new starters, stock management, control compliance and supplier liaising for the opening dates• Planned and delivered monthly/annual sales and managers conferences• Personnel issues including – security investigations and disciplinary hearings• Recruitment for all new hires across my area• Overall responsibility for all staff/store within group (around 120 staff) including performance management, passing on management directives and ensuring compliance, management appraisals and customer experience management.I also developed systems to maximise branch efficiency resulting in a 30% increase in number of customers served during the busy Christmas trading periods. This system was launched nationwide upon the results achieved.By working alongside and educating people with clear feedback, action plans and hands-on people management, many of my staff were able to climb the career ladder including three promoted to area manager positions.

My role as an Area Adviser was to oversee 3-4 stores within a small area in addition to managing the Lakeside branch. This was a role I found most enjoyable because it meant working alongside people and nurturing their talent and helping to develop people in their roles. My main responsibilities were to be the eyes of senior management, ensuring company policies and procedures were adhered to, in addition to helping to drive the stores forward.

My role as manager of this flagship store was to learn the business and ensure my team were trained in all areas of it. Our team effort and attitude helped increase turnover from £800,000 to £2 million within 2 years, making it the second highest turnover on the company. As a store it was fun and relaxed with a vibrant atmosphere. Presentation and standards were at all times impeccable with always a clear focus on customer needs. We also won various awards for our stock inventory results, customer service and company sales competitions.