Darren N General Manager - Asda Logistics Services

Asda has always been one of the best and biggest employers in the private sector within the food industry, with a brand that is well known. I have been in the role of General Manager for Food Distribution some years now, and was seeking a new opportunity, to enhance my skillsets and knowledge with a bigger company. I had heard about the vacancy through word of mouth, and saw it as a great opportunity to test my leadership skills in an environment that means I get the chance to lead, develop, and motivate a very large number of colleagues under the same roof, which you just do not find in most other environments. Asda has some great core values, that I strongly resonate with, that means I feel able to develop myself and my team, to make the Distribution Centre, the best place to work.

I have always worked within the food industry, ever since I was a 16-year-old at J.Sainsbury on the checkouts. After spending nearly 14 years working for them in various roles, and starting out my management career at 18, I felt an affection, a passion, that has never waned. Due to relocating away from London, an opportunity arose for Tesco in Surrey/Hampshire borders, within a Distribution Centre in Weybridge (still within the food industry). This led to various promotions, and led to opening a mega shed in Reading, which was an amazing experience, and one which I will never forget. Due to these experiences, I wouldn't want any other career, as food distribution is so fast paced, no day is ever the same, and the vast amounts of different people you get to meet, and work alongside, gives so much job satisfaction.

It is the same fast pace in the other large food companies, which gives natural motivation, and passion, to anyone like-minded, that wishes to feel success happening quickly and constantly, in an ever-changing environment/world. Whilst the technical processes and procedures and IT is different, managing people, leading large teams, is fundamentally influenced by you, and your style of leadership, that is either taught, or learned throughout your career. That is the one constant. The real positive working for a large company such as Asda, is that you will get the training to be able to carry out your role, and the support network is vast, so there is always someone able to help. Like any new job with a new business, it can be daunting, but I can honestly say everyone I have met thus far, has been extremely welcoming, and nothing is any trouble in supporting me through the initial first few months, from a thorough induction to very informative training tasks, it has been professional from my first day at Asda.

If the opportunity arises to join a great team, that will only enhance your knowledge and leadership skills, take it. Joining a large team/business is always a little daunting, but Asda has great ethics in its core, that means it is full of great people, and the training that it gives you, will mean that you will feel very integrated, very quickly. It is an opportunity to join a business that is going through a transition, and you are a part of that journey of change, that can influence and shape how successful it can be in the future. If you want to learn new skills, meet new people, and test your leadership style and skills, there is no better environment that Asda to do just that.