Welcoming our new Business Development Manager in the Apprenticeship Team

I joined the Leeds Business School last November as a Business Development Manager (Apprenticeships).

For the past 30 years I have worked within the FMCG Industry as a Category Manager.  I have worked within many Blue-Chip companies such as Unilever, Hallmark, Greencore, Asda and Tesco, both in Head office roles and on a consultancy basis. The world of FMCG has moved on significantly over the last 30 years, with radically changing eating habits and more sophisticated marketing techniques being introduced.

My last role was with Quorn looking at the meat-free arena and understanding the impact this has on corporate agendas, consumer diets and global impacts. During my time at Quorn, I gained a greater understanding of corporate and individual responsibilities to our planet, ourselves and our immediate environment. Customers have always been at the heart of my world, understanding their needs and looking to satisfy them in a mutually beneficial way.

I am a great advocate of Apprenticeships as they enable apprentices to earn while they develop and learn and immediately put into practice the academic theory studied at university. The apprenticeships offer an alternative education pathway and are at the heart of the government agenda to fill regional and national skill gaps.

As rising student debt can be perceived as a barrier to Higher Education it is imperative that the companies both large and small understand how apprenticeship funding works to take advantage of the opportunities available. If you don’t use levy funds within two years, they are lost. As a Yorkshire woman, this goes against my anti-waste philosophy, and I am keen to help all businesses get the most out of their levy contributions and utilise any levy transfer opportunities.

Apprenticeships are not just for school leavers. Our Senior Leader Apprenticeship is geared towards experienced managers who want to learn the theory around the practices they have been using and to expand their toolbox, however, this Apprenticeship Standard is likely to be defunded soon.

Our next intake for the Senior Leader Apprenticeship, currently scheduled for July 2025, may be the last and we would like to offer businesses the valuable opportunity to be part of it.

Make sure you do not get left behind by joining our mailing list so we can keep you abreast of the changes as they are announced.

For more information on Senior Leader, any of our other apprenticeships, or to join our mailing list, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.