This International Women’s Day, we shine a spotlight on the diverse career journeys of some of our incredible female team members. For more than a century, the global March 8th event has celebrated women’s social, economic, cultural and political achievements. This year, IWD aims to #InspireInclusion.
Vice Chair, Johnstons of Elgin
Career Progression:
From playing shops as a child with my brother using the entire contents of our kitchen cupboards to working through University in a student bar, working in a Boutique on Elgin High Street where I was given the opportunity to put my Marketing & HR Degree into practice, setting up and running one of the first online stores selling Scottish (quality) gifts from a bricks and mortar retail store in Edinburgh, to creating our first online store at Johnstons of Elgin in 2005, managing the Johnstons Apprenticeship programme and overseeing the company reinstate itself as a Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) centre in 2015 and in 2019 being appointed as the first female Chair of Johnstons of Elgin. This year, I handed the Chairing baton over to my big brother, and I'm back working on various projects in the business, which is my favourite place.
Tell us about some of the key milestones or influences on your career:
As a multigenerational family business, the greatest influences are, without doubt, the people past and present whom I have had the opportunity to learn from and with over the last 20 years here in the mills of both Elgin and Hawick. I am very conscious of the extreme privilege it is to be given the opportunity to work within your own family business; you soon realise that our purpose is longevity and providing diverse and unique employment for the communities we work in. Our overarching purpose is to keep the business thriving and sustainable in every way.
How I have achieved my success:
Very much learning from doing, making mistakes along the way, balancing life and learning both within the business and out with – this helps with the ability to always see the big picture. It's easy and tempting to become fully absorbed within the wonderful world of Johnstons, but it's also important to understand what and how your customer needs and wants. I'm a member of the International Women's Forum and have served on the Royal Warrant Holder's Association Council and Executive Committee – both provide brilliant learning opportunities for me and keep connections with other industries and diversity of thinking.
The best career advice I have received or would give:
Keep it simple. Always make an action and take a learning from each communication. Keep learning and keep giving others opportunities just like you were given opportunities to get where you are today. Keep the long term in focus with an open mind, and don't forget to breathe and enjoy the moments along the way; they are precious!
User Experience Coordinator, Johnstons of Elgin
Career Progression:
My career journey with Johnstons of Elgin began after participating in a Schools Interaction Programme. Since then, I've maintained a strong enthusiasm for learning new skills and embracing new experiences. This drive has enabled me to progress through various roles within Johnstons of Elgin, initially starting as a Sales Assistant to working in the Ecommerce department as the User Experience Coordinator for our web platform and online stores.
Tell us about some of the key milestones or influences on your career:
I am deeply grateful for the support and mentorship from my colleagues throughout my journey. Their guidance has played a key role in my career development, providing me with invaluable mentorship, encouragement, and opportunities to grow both personally and professionally.
How I have achieved my success:
Welcoming opportunities to learn new skills and explore experiences has influenced my professional growth.
The best career advice I have received or would give:
My advice would be to stay open-minded and patient in your career journey. Keep learning and take every opportunity that comes your way. You never know what valuable lessons or connections might occur from saying yes to new experiences.
Design Director - Woven
Career Progression:
I started as an Intern Styling Assistant at Conde Nast, mainly on Brides Magazine. It was a great experience being in London and working in the office with Sandra Boler, the Editor of Brides Magazine. I put in a lot of miles every day as I was the 'runner' who organised and collected some of the props for future editorials. One of my best memories was working at Sandra Boler’s country home as her garden was the backdrop to the magazine's main summer feature, and, low and behold, my hand was featured holding a watering can, haha! I still have a copy of the magazine in my portfolio as this holds special memories and marks the start of my career in the creative world.
Next, I worked as a Design Assistant for a homeware textile supply company, where I predominantly worked on printed and embroidered bed linen for adults and children and kitchen textiles. I drew a lot of racing cars, hot air balloons and butterflies for kids' bedding, with the occasional sketch of a clothes peg for ironing board covers.
Then, I joined Johnstons of Elgin. I initially started with the brand on a temporary contract as a Woven Designer. In August this year, I will celebrate 21 years of working for Johnstons of Elgin, having seen my role progress from Designer to Senior Designer, Design Manager and Design Director of Woven. I have so many special memories, and I'm proud to be where I am today and to be still making memories with Johnstons of Elgin.
Tell us about some of the key milestones or influences on your career:
When I started university to study Textile Design, I thought I was going to specialise in Printed Textiles. I completed the print block, knowing for certain it wasn't for me after all. Weave was the final block I tried, and I instantly fell in love.
At the end of university, I was lucky enough to win an award that took me to Premier Vision in Paris, where I came across Johnstons of Elgin for the first time. I met the Design Director of Apparel, who encouraged me to stay in touch. As this was 2002, letters were still very much the primary form of communication, so I wrote to Johnstons of Elgin asking for a mill tour and enclosed my CV. Fast forward to March 2003, and I drove nearly 500 miles for an informal chat with the Design Director of Accessories, determined to show my passion for weaving and my portfolio, just in case there was an opening in the Design team in the future. Little did I know that Princess Anne was arriving the same day as my informal chat, so the meeting was short. I remember driving the long journey home, worried I hadn't had enough time to impress. Nearly 6 months later, while drawing a racing car, I answered my phone to Johnstons of Elgin. In the space of a week, I resigned from a permanent role designing kids' bedding, packed up my little bedroom in the house-share, loaded up my car and drove another 500 miles North to Elgin for a temporary contract as a Woven Designer. Some of my family thought I was mad, but I knew it was where I wanted to be and 21 years later, it still is.
How I have achieved my success:
How I started at Johnstons of Elgin taught me to always follow my dreams, be determined, and love what I do. When you love what you do, you are undoubtedly happy, and I believe that the happiness–success link exists not only because success makes people happy but also because positive affect provokes success.
For me, loving what you do and working with a team of people you admire and for a company you respect is the ultimate combination for success.
The best career advice I have received or would give:
I have received a lot of career advice from many great people, but recently, I had a very open and honest conversation with a newer colleague. We didn't know each other very well at the time, but I was drawn to her calmness and straightforward manner, and she offered me a piece of advice that I have thought about every day since, and I am very grateful for that half an hour's chat.
The only way you can change the outcome of a situation is to change your response. Nobody will get everything right all the time, but it is our sole responsibility to continually learn and try to be a better leader.
People Director at Johnstons of Elgin
Career Progression:
I started my career in BHS working in the restaurant, progressed to Restaurant Manager, and then transferred to HR. After nine years of working all over the UK with no personal life as I worked every weekend, I relocated back to Aberdeen.
I worked as a Recruitment Consultant for a year. This is the job I liked the least, but I learned so much, and that experience has been invaluable to me over the years in HR.
I then joined a Glass manufacturing company with five sites in Scotland to set up their HR function. After three years, I moved into operations and became a General Manager of one of the Operating Divisions.
I missed HR, so I joined an American IT Company called SAIC as Head of HR for the UK, Europe and Australasia. I spent 11 years with SAIC and loved every minute of that job. We acquired companies, transformed people processes and implemented innovative solutions, including Flex Benefits, an online Career Development tool and online appraisals.
I then spent eight years in various global HR roles in Oil and Gas before joining Johnstons of Elgin, the best job I’ve had by far. From the day I arrived for my first interview, I knew Johnstons was special.
I get to work with incredible people who are talented and passionate about what they do, and they inspire me every day to think differently and do better than I did yesterday.
Tell us about some of the key milestones or influences on your career:
I failed all my O’Levels at school, and the day I got my results was a day that changed my life. I knew I had wasted all those years at school and was capable of so much more. What I did have was a great work ethic. I worked hard and always put 100% into everything to achieve the best results possible. I grabbed every opportunity to progress even though sometimes I was scared or didn't want to move to take up a new opportunity. If it was a progression, I did it.
After failing my O’levels, I also became obsessed with studying. I spent over nine years at college and university to achieve my Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) Professional qualifications, a Diploma in Management Studies and an MBA in Strategic Management. I also lectured in HR Management for the CIPD qualification and for the SVQ is Management. This was in addition to working full-time at my day job. I even started a Doctorate, but being a single parent with a demanding job and the demands of research meant that something had to give. One day, I want to go back and pick that up again; that may be my retirement plan!
How I have achieved my success:
I work hard, and I make things happen. We all hit brick walls when trying to develop new and better ways of working. The trick is to climb over it, get help to get over it, go around it, move it, adjust your course so you don't need to get over it or knock it down…as a last resort, obviously. Sometimes, I'm not successful the first time, so I dust myself down, come up with a new plan, wait for the right time and then go for it again. I always get there eventually, and sometimes, the sense of achievement is greater if you have had to work harder to get there.
The best career advice I have received or would give:
As you progress through your career, take as many people as you can along with you on the journey. I believe that training others by sharing knowledge and skills and creating opportunities for others to grow and develop is the greatest legacy we can leave and a measure of a successful career we can be proud of.
Wholesale Area Manager
Career Progression:
Early in life, I developed an interest in languages, particularly Asian languages. I dedicated part of my education to studying Korean and decided to move to Korea after my studies. I thus first started my career in Seoul, working for a young Korean brand, doing a bit of everything. From quality checking and folding garments to representing the brand at tradeshows abroad or establishing distribution contracts, my mission was to help develop the brand internationally. As it was my first real job, I was very motivated to learn every facet of it along the way.
I later pursued this mission for a century-old French brand called Le Mont St Michel as a Wholesale assistant and later became their Global Wholesale Manager. It was, again, a very hands-on experience, driving and flying across the world to meet clients and connect with prospects. Since we were quite a tight team, I also contributed to our branding and communication strategy and building collaboration projects with other brands.
I joined Johnstons of Elgin at the start of 2023 as Wholesale Area Manager, looking after France, Switzerland, Southern Europe and South Korea. It has been an amazing and intense adventure so far; the first year has flown by very quickly as there were so many opportunities to go after, especially with such a historical brand like Johnstons, where the potential for development is immense.
Being a Johnstons ambassador, I have taken to heart the aim of growing brand awareness and presence in the markets I am in charge of. I never tire of witnessing people's amazement and fascination when I tell them about our heritage and how we are so much more than just a brand.
Tell us about some of the key milestones or influences on your career:
It’s always a tricky exercise for me going through key milestones because I tend to constantly move my focus to the next one, but one of the key milestones this year was, without a doubt, getting Johnstons of Elgin into Paris' most beloved department store, Le Bon Marché, and organizing our first Burns Supper at the British Ambassador's residence in Paris.
In terms of influences, my family's undeniable support through all my career choices has always given me the confidence to do what I felt was right for me, even though it sometimes involved moving to the other side of the globe. I have also always been very lucky to work surrounded by passionate and inspiring colleagues that I now call friends.
How I have achieved my success:
I have achieved my success through perseverance, boldness, patience, and a good dose of luck (although I believe luck is mostly provoked!).
The best career advice I have received or would give:
In most situations in life, but especially in a professional context, communication is key. Never be afraid of asking or speaking your mind with honesty and simplicity. Another one would be to always go that extra mile; you'll hardly ever regret it.
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