In ‘Five Minutes With…’ we share the stories of our Bisley colleagues and business partners, allowing you to get to know them a little better. In this feature, we talk to Ellie Phillip, our A&D Manager for the North of England, to discuss her new role at Bisley and her goals for the year ahead.
Hi Ellie, and welcome to Bisley. Tell us a little bit more about your new role with us and your past working experience.
I recently joined Bisley as an A&D Manager covering the North of England. My role involves pushing the brand across as many A&D practices as I can, changing their perception of what Bisley is traditionally known for, opening them up to our extensive range of products and ever evolving offering. We have so many exciting products, with some amazing marketing, that designers will love however without someone there to show it, they were missing specifying us on some amazing projects! My role is to be at the forefront of this, ensuring Bisley are top of mind when these projects are being specified. This role was a natural progression from my previous role as a Furniture Account Manager with a furniture dealership, and something I have worked towards over the past couple of years.
Why did you want to work in the furniture industry?
I have always had an interest in Interior Design and once I was opened up to the world of commercial interiors, it was hard to look away! From working in an environment that was so counterproductive when I left school, the opportunity to enter the industry and be a part of the change was a no brainer for me.
What are you most looking forward to achieving within your role? Do you have any goals?
I am really looking forward to and enjoying building the perception of the brand within the industry. I was excited to see the new products and the quality of our product offering, and my goals are around being able to pass this on to others. In particular, a goal of mine is to be able to see how I have been able influence the specifying of Bisley products on a range of exciting projects and how the Sales team as a whole have been able to work together to get these specifications to order. What does a typical day look like for you? A typical day for me involves getting myself out there into the A&D community in any way I can! Whether that be hosting lunch and learns at various A&D practices or representing Bisley at socials and networking events pushing the brand further and making new connections. What the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Success is happiness. If you find joy in at least one piece of each day, no matter what it is, then you’ve found success.
When you’re not working, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Weekends for me are all about a Saturday morning breakfast out (I think I’ve been to nearly every independent brunch spot in a 20-mile radius by now!) and walking in the Yorkshire Dales with my family and my pup. I also enjoy dragging my boyfriend into any DIY task on the house possible - I love switching it up to match trends