Beverley is the Founder and Managing Director of Numensa. A truly fearless and creative individual, we ask her a few questions to find out more…
What inspired you to start your own company?
- I was very fortunate in my early career having started as a Graduate Trainee with Marks & Spencer in the UK. The training I received whilst there and in other UK retailers, really set me up for career success. Having worked at a few Australian retailers, I felt there was an opportunity to provide specialist learning & development within Australia and New Zealand for buying and planning teams.
What is it about Numensa that makes it unique?
- We are not a straight consultancy and we are not a straight L&D company. All our consultants and facilitators are retailers at their core. We eat, sleep and breathe retail. And because of how we work, not only can we provide consultancy in process and change management, but we can then provide training and support to help implement any recommended changes with your teams.
What are you most passionate about in terms of the retail industry?
- I love the visual excitement and promise that stores offer. They literally make my heart beat faster.
What is a retail company that inspires you?
- For pure visual excitement, Anthropologie. I just want to live in an Anthropologie store.
What is your creative process?
- Some years ago I did a psychometric test for a job role. It placed me on the 97th centile for creativity and 3rd centile for analyst. Born buyer! I burst with ideas every day. The difficulty for me is honing in on the relevant ones and implementing them. I need to work with very different people who keep me on-task or I can move on the next shiny idea.
Where do you see Numensa in 5 years’ time?
- We are really growing our online course development and I see that continuing as technology allows us to present training in evermore exciting ways. There is also huge opportunity to help some of the home grown Asian retailers in countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
How many cups of tea get you through the day?
- Well I literally can’t do a thing until I’ve had my first cup of English Breakfast, then I have several more throughout the morning. At lunchtime I change over to Earl Grey and then towards the evening go for something herbal like Peppermint.
Buying or planning?
- Buying – once a buyer always a buyer!
Any quote or saying that you live your life by?
- Life is for living so live it with life…
