Business Manager at 888 Vapour (2025-04 – Present)
888 Vapour is a regulated, multi-site retail group operating in full compliance with UK Trading Standards, age-restricted sales, and advertising codes of practice.
- Directly manage the retail business unit within 888 Vapour, overseeing 48 employees with full accountability for day-to-day performance, reviews, and development, driving a shift from a service-led to a KPI-driven culture and improved productivity
- Work directly with Philip Morris International and other category stakeholders, delivering 12 in-store shop-in-shop concepts to date (a further 6 in progress), positioning the estate as a destination for heat-not-burn and next-generation nicotine products
- Led the acquisition and integration of 7 retail stores for 888 Vapour — the first project of its kind for the business — from board-approved budget and business case through to onboarding 14 new staff, identifying and clearing significant out-of-date stock, and implementing new stock management processes alongside standardised pricing, loyalty, and systems across the estate
- Designed and launched a modernised loyalty scheme with digital Apple Wallet passes (+14% month-on-month sign-ups) and increased uptake of supplier-funded marketing packages by 54%
- Manage the online warehouse operation (10,000+ sq ft), overseeing stock takes and product rotation alongside the warehouse operative to reduce expiry stock
- Widened the product category range across the estate, broadening customer choice and opening new revenue streams
- Manage the purchasing team, overseeing supplier ordering, stock availability, and range decisions to ensure the estate is consistently well-stocked and cost-effectively supplied
- Oversee property management across the retail estate, including lease negotiations, rent reductions and reviews, business rates, and operating expenses, to control property costs
- Produced and rolled out a training schedule for all new starters, ensuring full onboarding across core systems, health & safety, sales, purchasing, and visual merchandising
- Maintain high standards across stores, including visual merchandising and stock control analysis, ensuring full compliance with age-verification, advertising, and trading standards regulations
- Preparing the business for upcoming regulatory change under the Tobacco and Vapes Act, including new tax stamp requirements, by training the team to inform customers of the changes and analysing stock to prioritise sell-through ahead of implementation, reducing the risk of financial loss
Accountant at 888 Vapour (2020-10 – 2025-04)
- Produced accurate management accounts, budgets, and forecasts across 18+ cost centres, building and presenting on-time monthly board packs to analyse performance and support strategic decision-making
- Delivered margin and labour analysis to maintain profitability and optimise performance
- Led cost-saving initiatives and performance improvement strategies
- Managed payroll for 30+ employees
Accounts Assistant at VPJ Solutions (2017-03 – 2020-10)
- Supported accounting processes including reconciliations, VAT, payroll, and reporting
