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Career path:
- Name:
- Lee Sheldon
- Employer:
- SSP
- Position:
- Director of L&D
Q: What made you choose to join your current employer?
Two reasons: Firstly, the opportunity to work with so many brands. Having worked for one brand for so long the 'USP' of multi-brand that SSP offered was irresistible! Secondly, the potential to create the first L&D function for SSP that cut across all its divisions (Air, Rail and Retail) and to raise the profile of L&D and what it can do to add value to a business.
Q: What is the basic function/purpose of your current role?
As Director of L&D I'm responsible for working with our business partners to identify the people development strategy for the business and then leading an outstanding group of individuals to deliver it. Having succeeded to put in place a very exciting and dynamic offer (the SSP Academy) to the UK business, my new role is centred around helping the international business adopt a similar approach to internal development and succession.
Q: How relevant were your qualifications to you getting the job?
Whilst I believe the HRM Diploma from the CIPD has been integral to my career growth I also believe my practical experience in operations has made me a credible individual who knows the importance of working in partnership with the operators to ensure the initiatives and products we create meet their needs and are relevant to the business.
Q: Describe some of the key tasks involved in performing your current role and the frequency with which you have to perform them.
Being visible with the key stakeholders is critical. Locking myself away would do little to advance the business so meeting the operational directors and others and providing them with updates or bespoke support is critical to my role. Along with working with the L&D team to identify how to implement the business strategic goals it is also important for me to be a line manager to the team. By this I mean to ensure I meet my commitments as a manager; whether this be in conducting one-to-one reviews every 6 weeks, chairing bi-monthly team meetings or supporting them with their projects. Ultimately I'm there to ensure they have the resources and support they need so that they can do what they do well and then I just need to get out of the way!
Q: What’s the first thing you do when you arrive at work each day?
After a good cup of coffee I make sure I've planned my day and know what appointments I have. As a long-time user of the Franklin Covey planning system I can honestly say I am an advocate of planning and prioritising although I do fall fowl of turning on my Outlook and being too easily distracted by the morning's email!
Q: How big is the team in which you work?
In relation to L&D in the UK I have 5 direct reports; two of which have two direct reports of their own.
Q: Describe how your job interacts with the rest of your team.
As described above I will interact with the team through formal one-to-one reviews and also when I request their support with business projects that I'm working on.
Q: How would you describe the working culture of SSP?
Busy and challenging but one that truly allows for people to make a difference. This may sound like a cliché but I have an enormous amount of autonomy to work with the business to deliver our common goals. I'm not saying that this is the case for all roles and I recognise that a greater adherence to prescribed processes and procedures is necessary for operational roles. However, I'm a great believer that people can earn the right to influence and so my team and I are very proactive in seeking input into our projects from people who have a proven record of delivering excellence in the business and who demonstrate a passion to make things better.
Teamwork is one of our three core values (quality and success being the other two) and is one that absolutely chimes with my personal work values. SSP is doing a great deal to live this value; from incentive programmes based on the team's performance to bringing together international colleagues to share best practice. We can and should be proud that we do this and to be frank we should not be afraid to shout about it!
Q: What career avenues do you hope to be able to pursue in the next: two years, five years & ten years?
Having just started in the international role I think I'll be quite engaged for the next two to three years! The chance to explore the diverse markets we operate in (over 30 countries and counting) is very exciting and I want to create a real international L&D network of professionals that collaborate to improve the business.
My career success and personal sense of achievement will not be built on simply 'parachuting in' the L&D programmes that worked in the UK but instead success is about taking what works from all markets and coming up with a core product that allows for local flexibility in implementation but global impact.
Q: What do you like most about your current role and why?
Two things: Firstly, the chance to implement development solutions that help our people to be better at their current roles and to prepare them for their future ones. Nothing fires me up more than seeing individuals who we've supported being successful in their job and getting promoted to their next. Hearing comments from them along the lines of; "I couldn't have done it without your team" is music to my ears!
Secondly (and of equal importance to me) is seeing my team deliver great work and help others. I could not be prouder of the people I work with and I'm very lucky to be able to lead this group of people and act as their ambassador in the wider business.
Q: What do you find hardest about your current role?
The diverse nature of the brands and divisions means that often a large number of people need to be consulted and engaged with. This isn't an issue in one sense as it fits perfectly with my style of leadership however it can have the affect of slowing down the decision-making process and in communicating out to such a vast and diverse group of people.
Q: How close do you think that the general public’s view of your employer to the reality?
This is a tough one because to the consumer who buys from us at the airport and railway station, SSP is not generally a known entity. In many respects we have the dichotomy of being a long-established business within our industry and yet we are just beginning to define ourselves as a single corporate entity across the countries.
The public will know our brands and are often surprised to hear that it's SSP and not Cafe Ritazza or Uppercrust themselves running the units. This is deliberate in one way as it's the brand's unique offer that we're trying to provide to customers at the site rather than a homogenised service in every unit.
However I recognise that this provides a challenge when trying to recruit people to work for the SSP 'family' who are primarily familiar with the brand names and not the fact that one business offers them in one location.
Q: Would you recommend your employer to a friend and if so, why?
Yes! No hesitation whatsoever. If you're looking for a challenge that requires you to think on your feet, take ownership for you and your team's development and you are prepared to work in a busy and sometimes manic environment, then SSP can truly offer a rewarding career experience.
It's not a typical corporate environment where everything from the layout of the filing cabinet drawers to the standard operations manual is all prescribed and has been in place for years!
In many ways we're still a young business and growing up always involves a few aches and pains but the sense of teamwork is palpable and most rewarding.
If there's an employee you think epitomises your company ethos or you'd like to draw attention to a particular role, why not get in touch with our team right now? Just email: advertising@theappointment.co.uk.
