[ SPOTLIGHT ] Steve Leach, sales director of Nisa Retail How would you describe your personality and what approach do you take in business (and in life)? I live my life based on three core personal values of honesty, integrity and trust. I would describe myself as very driven, results orientated and competitive but increasingly self-aware, and if the last couple of years have taught me anything it is to question what is truly important in life and how to achieve a better balance whilst not taking life (and myself) too seriously.
Role was in the blood What have been your biggest achievements in work and outside work? Inside work, I was very proud to lead the integration of Nisa into Co-op; I worked very closely with both businesses whilst still doing my existing day job. It was a really challenging time and extremely hard work juggling many priorities and new ways of working, but was definitely the right decision as the pace of change had gone off the scale – even before the current trading climate! Outside work, without doubt my biggest achievements are how my daughters have turned out. My eldest daughter Izzie is in her third year as a medical student at Sheffield Uni, and Phoebe, my youngest daughter, is studying Fine Art in Edinburgh. I am a very proud (and protective) Dad. Who has been the biggest inspiration to you? My Grandfather was my biggest inspiration and influenced my decision to have a career in retail. He joined Joshua Wilson (a North-East based wholesaler) as the post boy at 15 and retired many years later as its marketing director, after successfully working his way up. He was well known for his sense of humour, after-dinner speeches and interpersonal skills, and he also had a love of Sunderland football club that he 16
November 2021
passed down to me. I found a TV documentary from 1971 that showed him chairing a trading meeting. I bought the rights to the programme so that I could show the film as a surprise to my Gran when she turned 100. There were an awful lot of similarities between Joshua Wilson and Nisa – you could say this role of mine was in the blood! What were your ambitions when you were growing up? Initially I thought about a career as a police officer, but my eyesight wasn’t good enough. I soon fell in love with a retail career and have never looked back. What are your interests outside work? Watching comedy and following Sunderland football club – the two are often combined! I love walking, and over the last couple of years I have walked more than 2,500 miles as part of the #NisaMiles initiative, whereby our Making A Difference Locally charity donates to good causes based on Nisa employees’ mileage. It’s a great way for me to get fit, improve my mental health and spend time with my family. The highlight was walking the Great Wall of China on our last family holiday. During the pandemic we welcomed a Labrador puppy, Elsie, into the family who makes sure I have to keep walking, twice a day!
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What has been your biggest challenge and how did you overcome it? That’s easy – the current trading context. I’m still trying to overcome it and will be for a while. Resilience, determination and the support of a fantastic team around me have helped enormously. What is your favourite film, book and song/piece of music? The Comedy Store by William Cook is my favourite book, and my go-to piece of music is Bonkers by Dizzee Rascal as it sums up retail in one song. If you won a holiday, where would you go and who would you take with you? New Zealand – No.1 on my bucket list – and my immediate family of course. What would people be surprised to know about you? I did a 15-minute stand-up comedy routine in a London comedy club and CCM appeared in Time Out magazine.
M&S trained Steve Leach joined Marks & Spencer at 18 on the Young Management Trainee scheme instead of going to university. He subsequently worked all over the UK with M&S, Sainsbury’s, Boots and Vodafone. Leach joined Nisa in January 2014 as sales director and was appointed as a trustee on the board of Nisa’s Making A Difference Locally charity in 2017.