United States
Columbus
Alistair
Executive Director, Retail IT Lead, UK&I
What first brought you to ELC and what was your first role with the company?
Back in August of 2001, I joined working in retail application support, so answering calls from one of — at that time — our eight free-standing stores.
When I applied for the role, I didn’t have any knowledge of ELC. I read the advertisement in a local newspaper and assumed they were a small UK cosmetics company. Only when I turned up did I realise the size of the company.
I’d done a tech degree and a lot of work on loyalty cards in retail, and I thought, this is a local job that allows me to use my university skills.
Over the years, what has been your proudest moment at ELC?
Back in 2018, I’d been working on a project to build our own UK CRM application. I developed it with a small retail team and had the opportunity to present it to our CEO and other senior leaders in a store during a market visit.
What do you think has kept you here for so many years?
It’s honestly the people, and also, as the organisation evolves, my role isn’t the same as it was 2 or 3 years ago. I’m one of these people who like to put my hand up and say, “I’d love to get involved,” and it has kept the job interesting.
Who has been especially influential in your career at ELC, and why?
I’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing people. It’s not only managers or senior leaders that have shaped my thinking, but project teams, solution architects, contractors, from all different areas of the business. We have a multitude of really clever, intelligent, bright people here. There’s not one person who’s my go-to but there are so many people where I say, I’d like to take this person’s values of being respectful, learn from this person’s integrity, and so forth.
Anyone who has taken the time to open the door and listen and say, “Let’s have a chat, how’s the family?” irrelevant of how busy they might be—those conversations more than just work focus mean a lot.
What makes you excited about the future of ELC, even after all these years?
Many of the changes we’re doing as part of Beauty Reimagined sit in tech. We’re only going to achieve those goals through new tech, new AI, new ways of working. Our team is going to be core to how we reinvent ourselves as a company.
Last one: What's your favourite ELC product?
I love the TOM FORD Beauty F***** Fabulous fragrance. When I wear it, people always comment on it. It gives you this air—I feel special when I’m wearing it.
