Some of our Successful Individuals

Chris Holden - Marketing & Central Financial Controller

I have been with Argos for about 5 years now, and over that time have progressed from a newly qualified analyst through to a Financial Controller. The opportunities within the group to gain experience across a full range of finance functions provide an excellent grounding in order to develop your career. For me, this has included Investor relations, stock analysis, FP&A, and financial analysis.

The over-riding impression that you get joining the group is the desire to succeed and resolve issues, rather that looking at where the blame lies. This focus enables finance to be fully involved in the operational impact of initiatives. There is a feeling that you are part of the team you support, and therefore work together more so than I have seen elsewhere. Alongside that there is the support of a large finance function.

In my time with Argos there is also a strong desire to develop the team, if you have the desire to do so. This has taken the form of various personal development courses. This all sums up into being part of a strongly motivated team that takes great pride in what they do, and enjoys the process taken to get deliver results.

Michael Coleby - Financial Accounting Controller

I joined Home Retail Group just over a year ago, in the Group Finance function, and I have been made to feel very welcome and a part of the team from day one. Previously I had spent 12 years in a similar department of a FTSE 250 company, and I welcomed the opportunity to put my experience to use in a well known, well managed and growing business.

Since joining, I have been impressed by the professionalism, quality and ability of my colleagues, and the support provided to each other. In particular, the way in which staff are encouraged to progress their careers through different parts of the business and the time and focus given to staff development and succession planning, gives me confidence that there will be opportunities to have a long, varied and fulfilling career at Home Retail Group.

Chris Nason - Group Commercial Financial Controller

I joined the Group on a short term contract in November 2000 as Delivery Only Analysis Manager and within six months took a bigger role within Argos Direct as Analysis Manager for both One Man and Two Man products before becoming the Argos Direct Analysis Controller. In a little over four years the business unit increased turnover from c£200m to c£800m and was operating from five warehouses rather than two.

In early 2005, I re-located to the Argos head office here in Avebury and became the Distribution & Operational Excellence Analysis Controller. Working with the operational teams, my finance team oversaw the changing infrastructure requirements of the division as smaller warehouses were consolidated into two large purpose built facilities.

This year I’ve moved into my current role of Group Commercial Finance Controller within the Home Retail Group where I am financially responsible for areas such as Group financial planning and analysis, central Group activities and some of the Group’s commercial activities in Asia and the UK.

My original intention on joining the Group was to learn as much as I could about warehousing and logistics before moving on around six months later. However, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all the people and teams that I have worked with, I’m still learning and I’m more than happy to remain with the Group while I still am.

Ben Bliss – Commercial Analyst

I started with Argos in April 2007 with no experience of the retail sector so faced a pretty steep learning curve. However, the communication down through the teams and the approachability of staff enabled me to quickly get to grips with all the issues facing a retailer the size of Argos. The environment is very fast-moving and requires the ability to multi-task and prioritise as well as think very commercially.

My department provides financial analysis to a range of internal customers within the business and includes the buying and stock teams, marketing and promotions teams as well as the many of the Senior Directors, all of which require accurate analysis usually at very short notice in order to make decisions which affect our top line sales numbers and ultimately our profit.

My specific role provides both a level of financial controllership to the eCommerce and Home Delivery teams and ad hoc analysis on anything from trends in website visits to the appraisal of multi-million pound projects.

I have been impressed by the level and quality of training available to staff of all levels and am currently on a 6 month course designed for high potential employees in the Group. As part of this course I have to complete a project which has the potential to deliver real life benefits to the Group. This is just one example of the willingness to educate employees as to the size and complexity of the Group as well as invest in training their staff.

The size of the Group provides huge potential to move around within the many different finance and non-finance functions and was the biggest factor in my decision to take up my current role.

After my first 16 months I’m looking forward to my next role with the intention of making full use of the opportunity of career progression within the Group.