Meet V, Our Global Operational Excellence Delivery Retail & Franchise CoE. V is a Global Operational Excellence Delivery Retail & Franchise CoE professional with nearly a decade of experience at Costa. From the beginning, she set her sights on joining the global team and strategically worked towards that goal. Her journey from in-store roles to Brand Excellence Coach and eventually into the Global Centre of Excellence showcases her dedication to both personal and team development. Embracing collaboration and overcoming the fear of asking for help has been pivotal in her growth, allowing her to build stronger relationships and drive excellence across the brand.
Getting to Know You
What’s your current role?
I’m a Global Operational Excellence Delivery Retail & Franchise CoE
How long have you been with Costa Coffee?
It will be 10 years in April
What you’re favourite Costa Drink?
Vanilla Cortado or sometimes an orange mocha cortado as a Christmas treat
What was your first job?
A summer job working as a receptionist in a tattoo studio when I lived in Portugal, when I came back to the UK while I was at university, I was a waitress in an American Diner.
As a child what was your dream job?
An Artist – more specifically illustrative design for rock bands album art.
About your career
What attracted you to Costa?
I was and still am an avid coffee drinker so when I was at university I was drawn toward Costas Coffee over all the other brands. My local Costa store appealed to me as a place to work because of the people employed there.
What did you know about Costa before you joined?
Nothing other than nice tasting coffee.
What’s the best career decision you’ve ever made?
I always had an end goal to work in a global team in Costa but understood this would be something I would need to work towards. By focusing not only on my personal development but others too when I was working in store and not just when I was a store manager allowed me to step into a brand excellence coach role, which lead me down my current path into the global centre of excellence. Ultimately, every career decision I have made since joining Costa was the best decision.
What do you think is your greatest strength?
Creativity, adaptability and empathy.
What do you think are the secrets behind getting to where you’ve got to?
Consistently putting in the effort and going the extra mile, staying curious and always seeking to improve your skills and knowledge, building and maintaining good relationships with colleagues and mentors and overcoming challenges and setbacks with a positive attitude and determination.
What is one thing that surprised you about working for Costa? / How did you get into your current role?
Company Culture and Career Growth Opportunities
What advice would you give your younger self?
Believe in yourself, this is something I will always be telling myself.
What advice would you give someone else considering starting a new role?
Take the leap, it may seem scary at first but everybody is capable of achieving great things.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
If I had to choose only one accomplishment, it would be the opportunity I had to train a new team in Atlanta and supporting the opening of the first Costa in the US.
What motivates you?
Achieving personal milestones or dreams while doing something I am passionate about, including making a positive impact on others.
What skills outside of work do you think help you in work?
Engaging in creative pursuits like art, music, and writing sometimes helps me to think outside the box and bring innovative ideas and being an occasional social butterfly can help towards my anxiety with my ability to communicate effectively.
What’s a mistake you made early on in your career and what did you learn from it?
Fear of Asking for Help and trying to do everything on my own but realising that it's okay to ask for help and collaborate with others improved my efficiency and built stronger relationships.
What are you currently excited about in your job?
On a personal level, tackling new and interesting projects that push me to grow and develop my skills, but also continuing to work with another supportive and dynamic team that inspires and motivates me to make a meaningful contribution to Costa and seeing the positive effects of our work.
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