Ger Convery

Describe what a typical day at work looks like for you.

I will begin or continue work on any number of project that are currently ongoing within logistics. Myself and a team of 2 others will meet up with different parties throughout the organisation who will propose ideas for improvement and development across many different areas, including data input, warehousing layouts, cost modelling, resource planning, or SharePoint apps. At any one time I could have upwards of 10 projects which involve several cross functional teams. I may spend time analysing the requirements, developing the solutions or delivering the end results. Each day poses a unique challenge.

How does you team fit in to the Henderson Group?

My team was recently developed in late 2017 in response to a growing need in logistics to develop, lead and manage the numerous projects and solutions ongoing throughout the business. There were over 30 projects that needed a clear focused project plan and approach that previously may have taken several months or years to implement. Our team aims to streamline the approach and implement solutions faster and easier using various tried and untried solutions, often developing these from scratch. The work is incredibly dynamic and new projects frequently arise and can be on request depending on the business needs.

Who and what are you responsible for?

At present I am responsible for delivering a project that will increase the number of night time deliveries that we do. This will increase fleet utilisation whilst increase store satisfaction and service levels by ensuring the products are all in place for the retailer arriving in the morning. I am also aiding in the overall building program that is being undertaken which aims to convert the existing Hightown site into a new dual temperature cross functional fresh and ambient site for Wholesale and Foodservice. This is a 3-year project involving 10+ departments and several hundred sub steps and tasks.

What are the best bits about your job?

The ability to integrate and implement creative and free-thinking ideas consistently and in a somewhat less structured approach than most would be used to allows me to really use my strengths to provide the best solutions to the end users. The on and off job training is often second to none and the perks card along with staff discounts are great for shopping local. The team I work with are incredibly hard working but we always have time for craic and banter on the job which makes every day worth looking forward to.

What are the best bits about your company (Henderson Wholesale)?

Henderson Wholesale aren’t afraid to implement new ideas and try stuff that the competition and other wholesalers aren’t doing. They implemented a day 1 for day 1 fresh which is entirely unheard of in the industry and consistently strive to make the retailer the focus of any future plans and developments they undergo. The warehouse and transport teams link together well and always push themselves to get all the volume out even in the face of double digit growth and the consistent challenges faced by logistics.

What is the best thing about your team?

We share similar values and each of us have different approaches to solving a solution meaning that we never spend too long on even the most complex issues. We can share workloads as we have intimate knowledge of what each person can do and understand where each person’s strengths lie. The humour makes each day each worth looking forward to and work never feels like “work” even with the numerous challenges faced each day.

What attracted yo to the Henderson Group?

I had previously worked with a competitor and had always been enticed by Henderson’s strong values and customer focused approach as opposed to my existing role. I had seen their growth and was attracted to their business model which focused on purchasing and developing retail estates to be best in class among the competitors. I could see that the business was focused on long term growth and sustainability and that several employees had been working there more than 30 years which is rare in a business of this size.

When not working what can you be found doing?

I co-own an 80-acre farm alongside my father which has both cattle and sheep. I often spend my evenings and Saturday’s helping with the countless tasks that need done. I am an avid gamer and enjoy competitive online play or can be found reading several books a month on the Kindle. I spend a chunk of my free time weekly learning programming to develop my skill set to progress my career further and implement new ideas inside work which would normally require IT input.