MPK Garages’ Wayne Harrand
Wayne Harrand says that working with his team, who have helped navigate MPK Garages through a period of transition, is the most rewarding part of his job. But they had better not copy him into too many emails, and he might be tempted away if he was offered the top role at Lego!
Name: Wayne Harrand
Job title: Retail director, MPK Garages
Top 50 Indie MPK Garages operates 28 sites in the Midlands, Yorkshire, North East, Oxfordshire and the South West. The Leicester-based business has recently adopted the Nisa fascia at all of its stores, and announced earlier this year that it is swapping its Essar stations to the Valero brand at 14 sites, keeping Texaco at the remaining 14 locations.
The business has been one to watch as an early adopter of technology: using electronic shelf edge labels to offer long-term ‘cheaper than Tesco’ prices on 50 key items, and the Fuel Guardian app to beat no-means-of payment incidents on fuel.
01. Career history:
I have being working in the retail and hospitality industry for over 25 years. I started life as a glass collector in the local pub when I was at college, working for Bass Leisure Retail, and I was running my first pub with them by the time I was 20. After that I worked for Whitbread Inn, in a number of its well-known brands – Beefeater, Brewers Fayre, Costa Coffee and Premier Inn. I then moved across to convenience retailing and petrol filling stations with Budgens, M&S, One Stop and a One Stop franchise with Tesco, before working within the independent sector and a private equity SME business.
02. Dream job: Chief executive officer & president of the Lego Group. It is an iconinc product!
03. What do you drive? A Kia Sorento – amazing value for money.
04. Perfect day: Spending the day with my boys on the beach.
05. Best holiday: When I took both my sons scuba diving for the first time together in Cyprus.
06. Holiday wish-list: I would like to visit The Great Wall of China, Cuba, Bali, and the Maldives.
07. Favourite read: Of Mice & Men, by John Steinbeck.
08. Three words to describe yourself: Resourceful, driven, and focused.
09. Possessions you could not do without: Unfortunately, I would have to say my laptop, phone, and, most importantly, my glasses!
10. What do you most admire? People who can embrace change and remain focused on their life goals.
11. Favourite sports person: Ellery Hanley, a Rugby League legend.
12. Best news over the past 12 months: My son’s swimming relay team becoming the new British record holders at The Swim England Masters National Championships.
13. Recent achievements: The last 12 months have seen major changes in the supply chain, with both of our fuel and shop wholesalers being replaced with new partners. This could not have been achieved without the exceptional work of the colleagues across the business who have continued to allow us to be successful even when we are in a major period of transition. Fantastic team effort.
14. What’s your pet peeve: The excessive use of the ‘CC’ function in emails, hahaha. Yes, you people know who you are.
15. Biggest fear: I really don’t like venomous creatures.
16. Most important qualities in the workplace: Trust, integrity, and loyalty.
17. What motivates you? Achieving results is always motivating for me, but nothing is more motivating than when the team embrace the challenge and find the solution to achieve the result.
18. Best thing about the job: The people I work with make all the difference; it makes the job so much more enjoyable.
19. Best bit of business advice you have ever received: Less is more. Only focus on what you and your team can effect.
20. Most recent business achievement of note. We recently received an award as one of the fastest growing businesses in the East Midlands.
