Retail leadership, commercial judgement and the value of knowing what happens beyond the boardroom.
There is a considerable difference between developing a business strategy and making that strategy work in the real world. Francesca 'Frankie' Haynes has spent much of her career working where the two meet.
With more than 15 years of senior executive experience, Frankie has worked across complex retail businesses where customer expectations, commercial performance and the people delivering both are inseparable.
Her experience includes Hotel Chocolat and Costcutter, businesses operating in very different parts of the retail market but facing some familiar challenges. How do you maintain standards while growing? How do you make decisions at scale without losing sight of individual customers? And how do you build teams capable of turning ambition into results?
Frankie's career has placed her close to those questions, combining strategic leadership with the operational realities of running customer-facing businesses.
Her professional interests also extend into the wider business and investment community, including connections with Lifted Ventures and initiatives encouraging greater participation in angel investment.
For Yorkshire businesses, her experience offers a perspective that crosses sectors. Whether you're running a retailer, a technology company or a professional services business, the relationship between leadership, customers and commercial performance remains fundamental.
And experience gained at scale can be just as relevant to a business employing ten people as one employing thousands.