As part of GA Europe’s retail delivery capability, we have a network of field consultants, who we’re able to catapult into stores at short notice following the completion of a transaction.  Lenny Ruback, for instance, has 39 years of retail experience – all in store operations and largely in menswear, including 18 years at Moss Bros.  In other words, he was perfectly suited to oversee a number of stores on one of our deals, Speciality Retail Group.

Questioned about a typical day on the SRG transaction, it’s clear that there’s no such thing for Lenny.  “No two days are the same - I get round all seven stores two or three times per week and I might even be on the road, moving stock between stores”, he explains.  It goes without saying that maximising time on the shopfloor is crucial, in order to ensure that merchandising standards are high and consistent, and that point of sale materials are fresh and interesting.  Ensuring that all the stock in each store is selling at the right price is also no small feat, particularly as price changes and markdowns are a constant feature of managing distressed retail situations. 

However, Lenny’s in absolutely no doubt that the people side of the business takes centre stage. “Being involved in tough retail situations often means dealing with emotionally charged store staff - and that’s where experience is so vital.” And the importance of good communication skills cannot be overstated - whether it’s holding store conference calls across his seven stores every other day, dealing with individual staff issues, acting as the gatekeeper for store instructions from the centre, or implementing staff incentive schemes and creating a healthy rivalry between stores.  As Lenny concludes, “Empathy, the ability to motivate a team and the need to be a first-class communicator are right at the top of my ‘must-have’ list.”