Meet the team
We understand the business you’re in and we speak your language. We start adding value the minute we step through the door.
We are a team with many years of commercial experience before we became consultants.
Not only have had senior commercial roles in the past, but we work with world class businesses every day. It’s simply in our blood. We understand that what counts in business is passion, flexibility and pace. Because we understand the business you’re in, we start adding value the minute we step through the door.
Organisations have to keep changing to stay on top. But no matter how thorough the restructure, how sophisticated the system or how robust the growth strategy, it is the people inside the organisation that will determine its success or failure. We equip people with the best skills for their job, whether it’s learning to work with a new system or developing future leaders.
We understand the business you’re in and we speak your language. We start adding value the minute we step through the door.
We are a team with many years of commercial experience before we became consultants.
Jumoke joined First Friday in 2021 as a junior training consultant. She has a background in merchandising and planning and has experience of working with both luxury and high street retailers. Jumoke has a wide range of interests outside work; she is an accredited fitness instructor, a mental health first aider and she regularly volunteers for the charity Mind.
Natalie joined First Friday in 2021 as a consultant specialising in retail store operations. She has a strong retail background, with over 20 years’ experience of area and store leadership in both the UK and Australia. Natalie is a certified Agile project manager and enjoys supporting the younger generation by lecturing in retail at local universities. In her free time, she likes to travel and is interested in fashion, art and interior & garden design.
Miles is an experienced training consultant with a strong track record of delivering skill based and system transformation training. He joined the First Friday team in 2021, having many years of prior experience in a training role for a retailer. Miles has a broad knowledge of all elements of the training cycle and specialises in instructional design. He is a keen cyclist and recently spent the week cycling across Belgium!
Robin is the founder and CEO of First Friday. With over 30 years’ experience working with some of the world’s biggest brands, he thrives on supporting organisations to achieve their goals and enjoys working with a diverse range of clients. Prior to founding First Friday, Robin was IT Director at the Arcadia Group and he brings a wealth of retail knowledge to his role. When he’s not working, Robin enjoys spending time with his family, travelling and watching Spurs.
Gita is a partner at First Friday and joined the team in 2015. She is a retail professional with both executive and non-executive director level experience and has been involved in large transformation projects in many leading UK and international retailers. Gita is also a trustee of the Retail Trust, a charity that cares for and protects the lives of people working in retail and Catch 22, a social business delivering public services. In her free time, Gita likes to keep fit, cook and spend time with friends and family.
Amy is one of the creative forces behind First Friday’s digital offer. She has a background in retail and a strong track record of delivering digital learning that inspires and motivates delegates from a wide variety of industries. Amy’s creative talents extend outside of work; she is a talented milliner and loves designing and making beautiful fascinators.
Fiona has over 20 years’ experience as a training manager and consultant and is a chartered member of the CIPD. She specialises in system transformation programmes and has worked with over 50 clients during her time at First Friday. Prior to this, she held positions in retail buying and store management for the Arcadia Group. In her free time, Fiona enjoys walking, reading and cooking. She regularly volunteers for the NSPCC and at various literature and arts-based events in her local community.
Katie is an associate member of the CIPD and joined First Friday from Tesco as a training consultant in 2011. She specialises in training management and consultancy for systems transformation programmes and has worked on several complex, global programmes. Katie loves to travel – there are few places in the world she hasn’t been! She also enjoys open water swimming and regularly competes in running events.
Lara is a training and change management consultant and has worked with First Friday since 2015. With a background in FMCG, she thrives on the challenge of managing complex, fast paced cross-functional projects. A great communicator, she particularly enjoys stakeholder engagement and supporting her clients and their teams through business change. Lara enjoys health and fitness, and is up at 5am running most mornings!
Lorna joined First Friday as a merchandising & change management consultant in 2011. She enjoys the challenge of delivering process improvement and step change in diverse cultures and has advised many organisations both in the UK and overseas. In her free time, Lorna loves walking her dogs by the beach and enjoys keeping fit through hiking and yoga.
Lynne has over 5 years’ experience as a consultant and training developer, following 20 years as a senior merchandising professional across multiple categories and businesses. She specialises in supporting system transformation programmes as well as core technical skills training and merchandising best practice. She has worked with several key clients during her time at First Friday both inside and outside retail. In her free time, Lynne enjoys fitness, reading and travelling, having spent 2 years living and working in Germany.
Victoria joined First Friday in 2013, following a long career in merchandising where she delivered growth and profit for blue chip retailers. In her role as a strategic transformation consultant, she supports and guides businesses through the component parts of change and has a particular passion for coaching and building capability within teams. Victoria is an animal lover and in her spare time she fosters kittens, taking care of them until they find a new home.
First Friday is proud to support Future Pillars Zambia (UK registered charity 1173534).
This charity was set up in June 2017 picking up the valuable work started by the charity CONTESA to support AIDS orphans in Zambia. This ran very successfully, providing food, education and skills training over 12 years to over 10,000 orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia through a variety of projects. FPZ are continuing to support the existing programmes at Kabwe where over 1,000 children and young people a day are receiving food, education and skills training to move from poverty to a better and sustainable future for themselves and their families. All money donated goes to projects, none to administration.
If you’d like to get in touch please call or email us – or fill in the form below.
UK Tel: +44 (0)1494 867106
UK & US enquiries: enquiries@firstfriday.biz
UK Office
First Floor, Fairway House, Rear of 64-68 High Street, Great Missenden, HP16 0AN, UK
First Friday Ltd. is registered in England and Wales with Companies House.
Company Registration No.04293694
Registered office: Lower Hollises, Rignall Road, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, HP16 9AJ, UK
If you would like to get in touch, please call or email us
or alternatively, send us a message below
+44 (0)1494 867106
training.academy@firstfriday.biz
First Floor, Fairway House, Rear of 64-68 High Street, Great Missenden, HP16 0AN, UK
Sign up now to receive the latest academy news, views and special offers
