Meet our People

Name :  Mike McDonald                        

Current Role: Store Manager

I have worked for Thorntons in the position of store manager for 10 years now and after all this time am still overwhelmed by the sense of pride and achievement that my role  continues to offer me. During that time there have been so many opportunities available to me and as a result I now hold the position of Area Support Manager.

I am really looking forward to developing in this role and progressing my career with the company and importantly I know that I will have the full support and all the training I need from the company to do this. The job really is what you make it, the commitment that you put in is rewarded tenfold in return

 
Name :  Emma Hallsworth
Current Role: Retail, Operations, and Marketing Administrator

I joined Thorntons in 2002 as Store Manager for Bluewater, managing a team to deliver over £1m in sales. I contributed to my areas successes in many ways, one of them as their Retail Council Representative. I wanted to challenge myself further and the opportunity  arose for a secondment organising the Retail Conference in 2006 to which I was successfully appointed.

This position moved me to the Thorntons Support Centre in Derbyshire.  This enabled me to network throughout the business, gaining and building great working relationships along the way. Since then I have also covered various secondments in other areas, such as aiding the implementation of Auto replenishment, Retail Operations, Marketing and Transport. I have gained a great understanding of our business and contributed to many projects. Thorntons has allowed me to develop and grow throughout the business and I am excited to see what the future will hold for me within Thorntons.

Name :   Sharna Nessling
Current Role: Project Executive

I joined Thorntons in 2000 as an Assistant Store Manager for the Nuneaton Branch, within 6 months of joining I was offered the position of Store Manger for the Rugby store.  I continued to develop my expertise and worked in many different types of stores and within 2 years I was rewarded with the role of Area Support Manager.  This involved me developing a close relationship with 15 stores and guiding them through their day to day successes and any issues they faced.

During my 8 years with the company my career has developed with the support of my Area Business Managers, Regional Managers and Support Centre teams.

Thorntons has encouraged me to develop myself through allowing me to take part in many varied projects and meetings from being an Area Representative for our Retail Council to organising three consecutive years of the Retail Business Conference. 

I am now based at the Support Centre in Derbyshire working as a Project Executive where I continue to develop myself with the support of my colleagues. Thorntons is such a supportive company with a wonderful ethic of progression and working together as one company.

Name:   Laura Hilton
Current Role:  Graduate Process Manager

I graduated from Chester University in 2006 with a BA (Hons) in Business Studies. I also completed a 1 year sandwich placement at Agility Logistics. I chose Thornton's because I wanted to work for a top class organisation with a strong brand. I felt Thorntons offered great opportunities for both my professional and personal development. I like the variety of the role and the fact that you get to gain experience across different functions of the business.

I joined Thorntons as a Production Scheduler where I was involved in both the short and long term planning of Easter all year round models and bars as well as moulded chocolates. My main responsibilities were to ensure products were made on time and in full to meet customer requirements.

I then moved on to my second placement as a Demand Analyst in Supply Chain. My main responsibilities were to analyse current business demands and to be a gate keeper between the forecasting team and production planning. This role offered lots of variety and required to me to be involved in lots of different areas of the business.

At present I am working as a Process Manager in the manufacturing factory where my role is to lead a shift based team to drive improved performance through the delivery of production specific goals and targets. Within my area I am responsible for 3 operational lines, 85 people, 106 different products and £3m worth of raw materials. My key accountabilities are to ensure that food safety and product specifications are met; ensure all health, safety & hygiene procedures are followed; to pro-actively contribute towards continuous improvement activities; and to participate in new product development trials.

I think Thorntons is a great place to work and build a career. I have really enjoyed my time here so far. It has given me many opportunities to get involved in lots of diverse and interesting projects.

Name:   Sarah Brennan

Current Role:  HR Advisor

I started working for Thorntons as a Saturday girl when I was at University in Huddersfield. Once I completed my degree I was promoted to Assistant Manager and 9 months later I became Store Manager in Wakefield.

As a Store Manager I was responsible for managing my team, controlling budgets and stock and achieving targets and K.P.I.s. I was also part of other projects including re-launching the Competency and Appraisal system and evaluating the Retail Operations Manual. I moved around my Area helping out in various stores and was promoted to a larger turnover store 3 years later in York.
Whilst being Store Manager at York I completed a 4 week secondment at Head Office in the Human Resources department which is an area that I am passionate about and was successful in achieving a permanent position as HR Assistant in 2007. In January 2009 I was promoted to HR Advisor looking after both the Retail and Supply Chain areas of the business.

I am passionate about my career within HR and within Thorntons and they have been extremely supportive in helping me achieve all my goals over the last 10 years. Thorntons is passionate about developing its people and support them every step of the way. In all the roles I have done every day brings a different challenge that are hard work but enjoyable.