Richard Palmer

Experience

• 

  Somerfield

  Jan 1999 - Sept 1999

  Twlight Assitant / Home Delivery Support
• 

  Safeway

  Sept 1999 - May 2003

  Fresh Produce Supervisor

  Produce supervisor responsible for supervising day to day running of the produce department.

• 

  Egg

  May 2003 - Feb 2005

  Sales Associate
• 

  Boots UK

  Feb 2005 - Apr 2007

  Merchandising Assistant
• 

  Selco Builders Warehouse

  Apr 2007 - Dec 2007

  Micro Space Planner
• 

  Vision Express

  Jan 2008 - Jun 2010

  Product Merchandiser

  Responsible for a group of approx. 80 stores to build & maintain store by store merchandising plans, to ensure a balanced portfolio of products to satisfy all customer needs in all locations & stock management of ranges.

• 

  Boots Opticians

  Jun 2010 - Dec 2022

  Field Support:• Own the budget for all travel expenditure within the business, circa £1.2m per year. Split across hotel, rail, travel, car hire and expenses• Manage external suppliers and negotiate on best prices across all fields ensuring reduction in spend.• Track missed savings and provide coaching on best practice to the wider business.Central Operations:• Oversee and own all content / operational guidance / SOPs / Risk Assessments which are maintained and cascaded to practices while continuously implementing reduced workload in practices, increasing efficiency.• Create and present content for monthly governance packs to the exec, as well as, owning the business relationship with shared services such as: H&S, Claims, Theft, burglary, security, IT service reviews, Etc. • Own and implement the quarterly self-audit to all practices across the estate, seeing continuous improvement quarter on quarter.• Oversee all content and project delivery from all support office functions to practices while ensuring compliance and consequence models are supported and adhered to via field teams.• Own and oversee all GNFR suppliers incorporating central cleaning, cash collection and call centre relationships.• Accountability for all Business Continuity Process across the estate, including ownership & management of the COVID-19 rapid action support plan.• Own, manage & implement operational communications for the whole business along with the customer satisfaction survey.• Lead the operational continuous improvement and transformation programme, simplifying process and creating automation (Power Automate and Power Apps) while removing tasks from support functions Show less • Own the Optical equipment strategy for the companies owned estate, Owning a budget of between £5m-£12m per year.• Own the procurement for optical equipment and manage the tender process from concept to implementation• Own and manage supplier and maintenance contracts ensuring targets are met, holding external partners to account via contracted SLAs.• Project manage new equipment installs, larger scale roll outs as well as new technology trials into the estate.• Direct the exec team on new technology and market movements through relationships with external leads, world travel and attending exhibitions. Show less • Develop and deliver innovative and creative macro / Micro space layouts that maximise the sales, profit and margin potential, by converting architect drawings and amending existing plans. The layouts are operationally effective and efficient and have an understanding of demographic and market information. • Liaise with the retail planners and promotions team to ensure that the store has the most productive frame range and that PoS requirements are fulfilled. • Work closely with the operations team to help plan the work required in the practices against agreed time lines and liaise with other functions such as buying, stock, distribution centre and marketing, which affect the category to understand relevant issues and reflect within the store layout management process.• Respond to branch queries on that relate to the store layout operation. • Work closely with the Franchise and Brand Partners team to drive the continuation in growth of Boots ranges within these stores.• Maintain an up to date knowledge of commercial activity and product and pricing initiatives, in order that the layout management processes are practical, relevant and productive and present ideas and suggestions for enhancements to store layout process.• Monitor performance against KPI's and report as required. Take learning and recommend change actions as appropriate. Show less

  • Central Operations, Field Support & Optical Equipment Manager

    Sept 2018 - Dec 2022

  • Interim Central Operations & Field Support Manager

    Oct 2017 - Sept 2018

  • Programme Manager - Ophthalmic Equipment Supply & Maintenance

    Nov 2016 - Sept 2018

  • Portfolio Implementation Manager

    Nov 2013 - Nov 2016

  • Store Layout Designer

    Jun 2010 - Nov 2013
• 

  Cleveland Clinic London

  Dec 2022 - Mar 2023

  Category Manager - Capital Equipment
• 

  Lifeways Group

  Feb 2023 - now

  Regional Business Manager