What defining factors have got you to where you are today?
- Great teams – I’ve always been lucky enough to join great teams. The stakes are high given the amount of time you spend at work in any role but when I moved to Dubai in 2008 to join a new company, and live in a new city knowing no-one, the team I met at Ogilvy were a deciding factor in making my experience so rich! Work is demanding so to do a great job you need to be surrounded by people you trust and know are as committed and passionate as you.
- Hand in hand with the above, the teams and colleagues I’ve worked with have wanted to push the boundaries of what’s possible and drive innovation forward, whether that’s through tech or creativity. That keeps it interesting and also that type of mindset is infectious and in turn pushes you to make it happen.
- I have always said YES and given everything a try, and there are some downsides to this but the positive effects definitely outweigh the negatives, lots of the opportunities weren’t typically within the job description but that exposure to other disciplines set a lot of the ground work for my role today.
What sets Red Ant apart from the competition?
- Our people – clients always comment on how they feel part of our diverse, inclusive team, and how we build true partnerships with them.
- We’re employee-owned, so every member of the team has a real stake in the future of the company.
- The quality of our award-winning platform and data integration, with 60+ pre-integrated partners and fully scalable for a future-proof solution, meaning retailers don’t have to reinvent the wheel or reinvest in supplementary tech every few years.
- Our deep understanding of what retailers need, evidenced by our papers, surveys and thought leadership.
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How has the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped your view of the business environment that your business operates in?
- The pandemic brought the need for tech-enabled services into sharp relief – when stores couldn’t open, retailers needed to pivot to other ways of selling, and good retail tech needs to pivot with them.
- Because of how we work and our team of highly skilled engineers, we were able to provide the support our clients needed, enabling them to keep trading, and in the case of at least one client, to keep all their staff on their payroll.
- It also brought home the need to have a strong, engaged team, supported to work both at home and in the office with a clear policy for looking after their wellbeing. Our approach to this enabled us to be certified as a Great Place To Work, despite the challenges of the pandemic.
- It demonstrated that, given the right approach and a great team, we were able to not only survive but thrive, and sign up several new clients over the pandemic period.
In your time as a professional in retail technology, how has the retail transformation landscape shifted and what are the main challenges in today’s omnichannel world?
- Having a fully-realised retail technology ecosystem is more important than ever. Thanks to both online and in-store shopping, the millions of data points captured daily by retailers need to be marshalled and put to intelligent use so that the customer experience is seamless and frictionless.
- Customers expect the same experience wherever they choose to shop, and however they choose to pay. To keep them coming back, today’s retailers have to recognise this and centre the customer in all of their activities – sales, logistics, operations and marketing.
- The role of the store associate will continue to evolve – with the right technology, they can become a trusted shopping companion and deliver an informed, personalised experience which will add real value to the customer as well as encourage additional sales and increased loyalty.
As a business leader, what is the one piece of advice you would give to those who aspire to the C-suite?
Diversify your experience as you grow, different types of businesses provide you with different point of view and expose you to a variety of processes and outcomes, I think it’s important to have a thread such as client management but to do it in different types of agencies or even try client side! If you get the opportunity and it’s right for you working in a different market also provides a useful breathing space to gain greater perspective.
What’s your top pick for a book on retail or business transformation that everyone should read?
Great question, I always have two or three books on the go as well as some non fiction. The most useful book I’ve read in the last couple of years was introduced to me by a great friend who runs her own agency, called ‘Get a Grip’ by Gino Wickman and Mike Paton. The book introduces a framework to get everyone working towards the same goals and has had a huge impact on our business in the last 18 months.
Could you suggest a brand that’s doing it well?
A brand who I think really provide a great service are Mint Velvet, in each of my local stores the store associates take an active interest, help locate stock and save the sale if not available in your size and seem to really enjoy what they do. This is coupled with a great delivery service that meant a dress I saw on a Sunday lunchtime was with me in the right size the next day by 9.30am. For me this ease of accessibility means everything when you are juggling lots of other priorities Monday to Friday.
What do you think are the key ingredients that make a successful retail technology partner?
- A strong team skilled in retail technology across the board – engineers that have expert knowledge of our solutions and how they work for clients, client directors with in-depth expertise in retail and how to deliver for both clients and their customers, a leadership team that supports them and leads innovation and development in a constant cycle of improvement.
- Commitment to a long-term partnership, working collaboratively to adapt to retailers’ needs and evolving solutions to deliver a comprehensive, personalised experience for customers
- Being in tune with the retail industry and how they work, so that every project is relevant, anticipates needs and works within their framework and processes.
- Having a clear roadmap for the future, with solid plans for solution upgrades and additional functionality, developed in collaboration with clients.