Open To… Career Changers

Meet Adam Reid

Our Senior Procurement Manager  

Joining Whitbread was a big leap from retail for me.

I’d heard great things, so when I saw a role open up, I jumped at the opportunity to apply. With a pure retail background behind me, I knew this would be a place for me to learn, apply my knowledge and grow in other areas.

I feel I joined at the exact right time. It was very much a support function when I came in, now it’s a driving force for the business, and ultimately I’ve got a big voice at the table.

It was pretty dynamic of Whitbread to let somebody come in and say, ‘we should do things a bit differently’, and ‘here’s how I propose we do that’.

Coming to the table with a potential solution worked to my advantage. My suggestion was well received, and I was promoted and signed off to make that piece of work happen. It enabled me to draw on my retail background, while channeling it into this new hospitality space. 

There’s a lot to go after and modify here, that’s what keeps things really exciting.

I didn’t come into a business where it’s a massively well-oiled machine, and that’s where the opportunity is. There are a lot of things still to do, and management are willing to let you be a part of framing that future. Having that opportunity and autonomy feels really special and rare. It’s a very entrepreneurial place to be.

We are Whitbread and we are #OpenToYou. Join us here.