The main decision I made in relation to my career was doing a complete pivot out of one industry (construction), returning to education and starting a new career in a new field.

Once I began within Musgrave, my two bosses I have had so far have had the biggest impact. My graduate manager and my current boss have had a huge impact on my career progression to date.

I made sure to get the most out of the graduate programme, from fully participating in the formal aspects such as the IMI modules, to fostering good relationships with influential people within Musgrave. These people then became advocates for me as I sought a full time, post-graduate role in the company.

A typical day for me will start early, I like to start work pre-office hours to tidy up my admin tasks such as answering noncritical emails and organising my day. This may involve prep for meetings/presentations. I try to leave the afternoon free on most days for reports/project planning and creation, by starting work early, it gives me space to have the late afternoon free if required.

My main tasks are around managing key commercial plan projects, from managing diaries and schedules of our fresh team as part of this commercial plan, to co-ordinating engagement with retailers as part of key department objectives.

The key challenges are the differing expectations, engagement and abilities of both internal colleagues and retailers. You need to be agile enough to respond to these to ensure as close to a consistent outcome as possible.

I love the variety in my job, from working with different people across different projects, each with different challenges, expectations and targets.

Currently, working from home every day is not too enjoyable, I enjoy some variety in terms of office/home/on site work.

I bring an ability to project manage different tasks simultaneously, to see the bigger picture and to break complex projects down into their component parts to allow all involved focus on their respective elements

As I returned to education later in life, rather than particular subjects influencing me, it was the fact I returned to education in my mid 20’s which had the biggest impact.

BSc Honours Degree in Government from University College Cork.

The broad curriculum I completed in college has given me the ability to think outside the box, to see perspectives from an angle perhaps not immediately apparent to others, and also the ability to approach work in a methodical and simple manner.

Being centrally involved in the rapid response to the Covid-19 pandemic, which helped retailers manage an exceptionally dynamic and difficult period. This drove growth and also kept store employees and customers safe.

Hard work is a non-negotiable for me, honesty and an openness to change.

My dream job is Managing Director of our retail business unit in Musgrave.

Absolutely, the work life balance within Musgrave is completely in sync.

Be willing to be challenged, be open to other perspectives and 100% be willing to learn. This is a fast-paced environment, most learning will be done on the job so if you are open to these three elements, you will certainly come out the other end better prepared for you career.

 Enthusiasm, adaptability, and strong work ethic.

I will definitely be undertaking further training, what this looks like however is unclear at this moment in time.

Having experience in a retail setting, especially a large supermarket, will help you understand the core elements quicker than if you did not have this experience.