INDUSTRY
INSPIRING PEOPLE
Inspiring people: Leading with integrity Talking about her current role as interim CEO of BOSS - and what the future might have in store - DEBBIE NICE reflects on the changes, challenges and advancements seen in her 40 years at the heart of the dealer industry
HOW DID IT FEEL STEPPING INTO THE ROLE OF INTERIM CEO FOR BOSS AND HAS ANYTHING SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THE ROLE SINCE YOU TOOK IT ON?
It has been great to step into a role with the trade association that is at the heart of an industry that I’ve grown up in and the BOSS members are a great community. BOSS has continued to evolve and gain momentum by listening to the members, focusing on topical issues and the future of the industry. I’m enjoying working with the Leaders of The Future committee to plan thought leadership events, it’s a very collaborative environment where we all learn from each other – our next webinar is on 26th March on time management. I’ve seen the benefits of working alongside the BPIF to help create a louder voice when lobbying Government about legislation and topical issues. YOUR ROLE IS VERY MULTI-FACETED – HOW DO YOU
MANAGE THE DEMANDS OF LEADERSHIP AND WHAT ELEMENTS DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST?
With an interim role you need to ‘hit the ground running’ and in my first month it was great to be given the
[18] MARCH 2024
www.dealersupport.co.uk
opportunity to work with the BOSS team to deliver the BOSS Awards in Manchester. All the hard work had been done by Amy and the team prior to the event and my main challenge was going on the stage at short notice! The feedback was fantastic, it’s a great celebration of achievement. There is a lot of forward planning for events like the Awards Dinner, Members Day, Sustainability Conference and Leaders of the Future conferences, so I have to be organised. I enjoy the special interest groups where we can share ideas to discuss topical issues, trends and ideas to overcome challenges. I like the sense of community and the way everyone pulls together. HOW HAS THE INDUSTRY CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED YOUR CAREER – AND GOING FORWARD, HOW CAN
PEOPLE ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE BEST NEW TALENT?
The office supplies industry had four wholesalers and over 2,500 dealers when I started my career. E-Commerce and mobile phones didn’t exist and the top 10 items for sale included Tipp-ex, Twinlock Crystalfiles, typewriter ribbons and fax rolls. Almost everything has changed. The industry has diversified its product range massively from being a