Ceri
Channel Manager
Personal Lending
How did you get where you are now?
After graduating from the University of Wales Institute Cardiff with a degree in European business management, I decided I wanted to go into marketing, preferably working for a large organisation. And that’s how I came to be at HBOS. I started off on the Marketing Operations team, looking after new product launches, and then after a year I moved into Customer Value Management. There I was responsible for delivering campaigns to our existing customers – for instance, we’d look at ways of encouraging them to activate their cards, or transfer their balances over to HBOS.
Then three years later, in November 2004, I was promoted to my current role of Channel Manager.
What are your main responsibilities?
I manage the acquistion of new customers through our direct channels - which includes direct mail and telemarketing, as well as mainstream advertising. I look after a £2 million marketing budget and have an annual card target that I need to reach. It’s my responsibility to design and then implement a viable strategy with the help of my small team.
Once we come up with ideas for a new card, we get sign off from the marketing committee. We then test the new product by sending out test mailings and promoting this through telemarketing to a targeted group of customers. We’ll then analyse the responses to see if it’s feasible to rollout the new product into our branches and over the Internet.
In fact, we’ve just re-launched the One Card and I headed up the project on the marketing side. After doing a test mailing we launched a TV, press and poster campaign nationwide. It’s been very successful, making frequent appearances in the ‘Best Buy’ tables in the financial pages of national newspapers. Of course, it helps when you have a strong product to promote.
What kind of person do you have to be to succeed in your role?
Highly organised – you have to able to multitask and prioritise. There are just so many demands on your time. Strong analytical skills are also essential and so is the ability to communicate with people at every level of the business.
Give us an insight into the training you’ve received
When I joined the marketing department it was very small (only about a dozen people compared with around 120 today) and most of my training was on-the-job. However, you’re encouraged to get professional qualifications and I studied in the evenings for an Advanced Certificate in Marketing. I then went on to gain a Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma. I’ve also been on various skill-enhancing courses such as ‘Foundations for Leadership’– following discussions with my manager at my monthly review.
Describe the culture
It’s a very vibrant atmosphere. Not at all stuffy. The offices are all open plan, so senior managers sit alongside everyone else. And ideas are encouraged whatever level they come from. A lot of team building goes on as well - a few weeks ago Matt Dawson, the England rugby player, gave a presentation explaining how their great team spirit had helped them win the World Cup.
This is definitely not a nine to five job. There’s plenty of give and take, and as long as you’re adaptable the company will be flexible too.
What are the promotion opportunities like?
I think I’ve come a long way in five years. I’ve now decided I’d like to stay in marketing, increase my acquisition knowledge and get even more involved in strategy development.
