No degree but ambitious? Leading Edge Member of the Year Michelle Wilkinson rose from warehouse clerk to buyer thanks to her determination to put in hard work and learn many new skills across a wide spectrum of supply chain management The story of how Michelle Wilkinson rose from being a warehouse administration clerk at United Norwest Co-op to being the society’s buyer for beers, wines and spirits within seven years is an inspirational tale, and one that provides a strong message about the true value of lifelong learning. It also ensured the 28 year old was named Leading Edge Member of the Year in the first contest of the new millennium. Those entering this year’s competition had to write a report about their personal development training. In particular, they were asked to describe the training needs they had; explain how the training fulfilled this need; outline the quantifiable benefits for them; and, just as important, the quantifiable benefits for their business. From these entries, a shortlist of five members was then drawn up and they had to give a short presentation to a judging panel comprising Julian Hunt, deputy editor of The Grocer, Matthew Huffer, McVitie’s business group controller, and Lorraine Purbrick, IGD’s training development manager. Michelle recognised two years ago, when she was a buyer’s assistant, that she would need plenty of help if she was to achieve her ambition of becoming a buyer. “To be effective there are so many attributes that today’s buyers need ­ people management, interpersonal, numeracy and presentation skills. Knowledge of other business functions such as marketing or financial accountancy is also critical,” she told the panel. “Having left school at 16, without embarking on any higher education, I had very little knowledge about any of these attributes, but wanted to learn.” Her first step was to arrange a meeting with the society’s training manager and together they identified the in-house and external courses that would be of use. That led to her starting to study for a Master of Science in procurement and logistics at Staffordshire University. “At first I dismissed this because I didn’t think I would pass it ­ after all, I didn’t even have any A levels,” said Michelle. But the course had three awards ­ a postgraduate certificate, diploma and then the MSc ­ that would allow Michelle to progress at her own pace. She started the certificate course in September 1998, attending the university two nights a week after work. She passed the certificate last June and in August of that year began the postgraduate diploma. Having achieved that award, Michelle will this month start her studies for her MSc. As well as her MSc studies, Michelle has been on a number of in-house courses covering everything from negotiation skills to people management. And she told the judges: “The training has dramatically improved my overall knowledge and skills across a wide spectrum of supply chain management. Very quickly my profile started to get raised at management level. This was really motivating.” In March 1998, Michelle was promoted to trainee buyer with responsibilty for soft drinks, crisps and snacks, and was given responsibility for training the buying assistants that supported the team. “This was a major opportunity to put the skills I had been learning into practice, particularly in relation to people management,” she told the judges. Michelle added: “One of the most valuable lessons that my training has taught me is that the most important asset of any company is its people. Effective man management skills and superior business performance go hand in hand.” Soon after achieving her certificate in procurement and logistics, Michelle was promoted to full buyer status with responsibility for beers, wines and spirits ­ “the most dynamic, valuable and interesting category in the business”. Michelle is not planning to stop there. She hopes to take the Wines & Spirits Education Trust Certificate before the end of the year, is getting ready to start her MSc course and has set herself the target of becoming a senior buyer. The benefits to Michelle of all this training are pretty clear, but what does United Norwest get out of it? Michelle was able to show how her new skills have had a direct impact on the society’s bottom line. In addition, she says that she now has the skills necessary to mentor other team members. She has also been able to develop internal training programmes ­ a big plus point for a society committed to developing its staff. {{ LEADING EDGE }}