‘Getting to Know’ Leanne Baker – iCandy Sales Support Manager
‘Getting to Know’ Leanne Baker – iCandy Sales Support Manager
Kicking off the first in our ‘Getting to Know’ series is our talented and highly experienced Sales Support Manager, Leanne Baker who shares with us her insights into working at iCandy...
When did you start at iCandy?
I started on 28th October 2008
What does a typical day at iCandy look like for you?
One thing I love about my job is that every day is different. I have some responsibilities that have to be done on certain days at certain times, such as reporting statistics to the owners of the company, but most things are ad hoc. I solely manage the administration of the Key Retail Accounts so most days I action something for them, whether it be raising orders, booking deliveries or submitting invoices.
What is your favourite part of your job?
Working with an incredible team of people. There is a fun and relaxed atmosphere in the office every day, no matter how much pressure is on the teams.
What are the things you’ve done at this company that you’re the proudest about?
I am proud of how I have progressed within the company. I started iCandy in 2008 as a Customer Service Advisor and then progressed to Sales Support Executive, then on to Sales Support Team Leader and where I am now, Sales Support Manager. I have paved the way within the company as far as the roles I have had, as they didn’t exist previously and were created as I progressed. I am also very proud of myself for managing to maintain my Sales Support Manager role whilst being a single parent and working full time, around school hours.
What is your favourite memory since you started at iCandy?
Over the last 14years there have been so many memories such as the fun-filled Christmas Parties, the incredible Event we held in Manchester in 2016, the annual trips to Koln to attend the Kind & Jugend Trade Fair and the trip to Iceland my Team won in the 2017 Management Games. There have been so many memories but at the centre of all of them has been time spent with my wonderful colleagues.
What three words would you use to describe yourself in the workplace?
Respected
Valued
Hard-working
If you weren’t working as Sales Support Manager, what would you be doing?
I‘m a very hands on with my son, doing arts & crafts and creating memories. I love seeing the joy on children’s faces & hearing their laughter’s so would probably be working in an Early Years childcare setting.
How has iCandy changed as a company since you first started working here?
When I first started in 2008, the Accounts, Sales Admin, Aftersales and Buying roles were carried out by 5 members of staff (including myself) and now we have 15 members of staff carrying out these roles. The company has grown so much and its exciting to think where we will be in the future.
Can you give us an interesting or surprising little-known ‘fact’ about iCandy?
Not many people know that HSBC Bank published a video on YouTube about the increasing popularity of the currency RMB and it featured clips of our factory in China, our warehouse in the UK and interviews with our CEOs.
If you were MD of iCandy for a day, what is the first thing you would do?
Introduce an iCandy Creche. Returning to work after Maternity leave was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I desperately wanted to spend all my time with my son but I knew I had to return to work for various reasons. If iCandy had a Creche, it would mean that parents returning to work would have their little ones close by and could spend break / lunchtimes with them (something I would have loved to have been able to do).
As a child, what did you want to be when you grow up?
When I was a child, I wanted to be a vet as I grew up with a cat who I absolutely adored however when he sadly passed away, I realised I couldn’t deal with the upsetting & emotional side of being a vet . As I got older, I wanted to be a Forensic Psychologist and then realised what I really wanted to be was a Mum. I always knew I wanted to be a Mum and I am lucky to have achieved my dream.
If you were to give your younger self some advice, what would it be?
‘Make the most of every day as you don’t know when it will be the last.’
I don’t mean that in a morbid way, I mean it in the way that you don’t know when it’s the last time you will experience something in your life. The last time your child will want you to lay next to them while they drift off to sleep, the last time they want you to carry them when they are sleepy, the last time they want to cuddle up watching a film. You never know when it’s the last time, so never miss an opportunity.