Diane - Branch Sales Manager
What is your job role and what does it involve?
Branch Sales Manager at Frazer Leeds. I am responsible for ensuring the team give our clients the best customer experience possible, monitoring our daily sales to see we are achieving targets expected, working closely with our operations team to ensure we have the right stock available and delivering on time in full. Liaising with our key suppliers to ensure we have right buying prices and external contract support. Working closely with our Area Sales Manager in Civils and Utilities to have early engagement with customers on up and coming projects to ensure we have a chance of securing the orders. Recently, the Frazer branch for utilities has been brought into Leeds so currently working closely with the commercial utilities team to raise awareness of our offer.
What do you enjoy about your job?
Really enjoy the team ethic we have between external sales, internal sales and operations. Building customer relations, both new and old and having a great support network from other Civils and Frazer branches.
What challenges do you face?
For the majority of the last 12 months I have been shielding, the biggest challenge has been trying to manage a team with myself based in my kitchen. To see how the team adapted to the circumstances was such an achievement. Any challenge has a solution in the contracts division as we have such a great support from our Regional Sales and Operations Directors. As a woman in the construction industry, initially a few contractors were doubtful of my knowledge, but I found that more of a challenge to prove myself and now they all come to me for product advice.
What has your career journey with Frazer been like so far?
I began almost 7 years ago in the Regional Sales Office for Yorkshire and Humberside Civils as Sales Admin support to the current team. As it was exceptionally busy when I joined I was literally thrown in at the deep end and asked to adapt more to the Sales Role a lot earlier than anticipated. I took to this like a duck to water, but can honestly say 7 years in, every day is a school day and I get to learn so much more about the products and industry on a daily basis. With a few internal changes in staff over the years, I was given the opportunity to work with the Key accounts on large projects and secured many successful orders. Once the opportunity came up for the role of Branch Sales Manager (something I felt I perhaps wasn’t quite ready for) I hesitantly put myself forward. Wanting to have a challenging role and knowing the support was there to help me grow and achieve my goals gave me the confidence to apply. I took the role on in summer of 2019.
Do you have any advice for someone thinking about joining Frazer?
Go for it! There are so many benefits of working for STARK, plenty of training in-house and the most amazing support network.
Faizan - Regional Operations Director (Midlands and North)
What is your job role and what does it involve?
My role as the Regional Operations Director for the North and Midlands (UK) is to oversee a region, made up of 3 different brands working under the Contracts Division umbrella. My area of responsibilities include health and safety, stock management and logistics efficiencies. A large part of my role is people management, where I coach, guide and develop my teams to achieve their full potential.
What do you enjoy about your job?
Working collaboratively with other senior managers and across functions is an important part of my role, which I do enjoy. Also being part of a new structure and helping to shape the business has been very exciting. I have been able think innovatively and implement tools and processes that will change the way in which the business works going forward. Working in an operational role allows you to be involved in many different things which brings new challenges and achievements on a daily basis.
What challenges do you face?
Not one day is same in operations, you are faced with different challenges around transport, stock and people but finding solution to complex problems is something I do enjoy. In my role I have to influence colleagues across different functions which can have its own challenges at times but I do feel that I can have honest and open conversations with my colleagues, which means we can sort issues out very quickly.
What has your career journey with Frazer been like so far?
I joined Saint-Gobain in 2016 as the Branch Manager at Minster Insulation Royston. I was in this role for around 18 months where I developed my skills and experience before being promoted to Regional Operations Director for the South East and London. During my time with STARK, I have been supported and encouraged to aim for my next opportunity with the business, offering relevant training and learning opportunities to achieve this.
Do you have any advice for someone thinking about joining Frazer?
If you like collaborating and influencing others to solve problems, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment and open to change then STARK will be a great fit for you. Being for around 5 years with Contracts Division, I have really seen the business grow. If you are looking for an opportunity to grow with the business and you are not afraid of working hard to achieve your goals then Contracts Division is the place for you….
Charlotte - Area Sales Manager
What is your job role and what does it involve?
Area Sales Manager – Yorkshire & Humber. My role as the external sales manager is to create & grow business opportunities within my area- whilst maintaining long lasting relationships with customers. I work closely with the projects team to ensure early engagement on large scale projects, and work with key suppliers to ensure we are supported throughout. I work closely alongside my team at branch in both sales and operations to provide a next level service to customers in our area.
What do you enjoy about your job?
I love meeting new customers and building relationships and most importantly WINNING!. There is no better feeling when a project or quote you have been working on lands in your inbox!
What challenges do you face?
Working in such a reactive role I can face daily challenges from both internal and external factors. If you are faced with a challenge big or small take it as experience and let it help shape you for the future
What has your career journey with Frazer been like so far?
Great! I feel well supported within my role through various teams in the business whether that be management, credit services, pricing, operations, Frazer, Minster and my sales team at Leeds.
Do you have any advice for someone thinking about joining Frazer?
Go for it! This is my fourth year here and I’m so proud to be part of this fast moving dynamic business.
