Anna Blackburn

As a graduate straight out of University 22 years ago, I was attracted to Beaverbrooks based on the company’s commitment to internal training and promotion. I fell in love with Beaverbrooks at my interview; the combination of the core values of the business and its strong product offering had me hooked. I was also told that a management career was based purely on merit and that if I worked hard and performed well I would progress, and this has certainly been the case.

I began my career with Beaverbrooks as part of the sales team when we opened our flagship store in the Trafford Centre and after completing our internal management development programme 18 months later, I was promoted to Branch Manager. After managing several Beaverbrooks stores, I was appointed Head of Operations in 2008 and then Head of Retail in 2012.

Eighteen months after I was asked to be CEO – as the first female and non-family member to take up this role, this was a huge privilege and something I could have never anticipated when I joined the business in 1998. Another career defining moment for me was in January 2018 when I became the first ever non-family member to be promoted to my current role on the board of the company as managing director.

I am very proud of Beaverbrooks’ unique company culture, which puts people at the heart of everything we do, and of our core purpose of Enriching Lives, which simply means making a positive difference to the world we live in. Making a positive difference is something I am incredibly passionate about and I like to get my family and two young children involved with as many charitable and community initiatives as possible.

Last year I slept rough and spent a night on Blackpool’s streets to raise funds for homeless charity Streetlife, did a charity cycle from Manchester to Blackpool and did lots of baking!