Community, Hotel Chocolat, Jersey, Marks & Spencer, Matalan, Guernsey, Alderney
International Women’s Day 2023 – #EmbraceEquity
For International Women’s Day (IWD) and beyond, let’s all fully #EmbraceEquity. Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have. A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA.
Tags: Community, Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Isle of Man, Gibraltar
Here at Sandpiper, we aim to build workplaces that elevate visibility of women and provide a culture where women thrive through challenging and rewarding roles coupled with training and support.
Stephanie Smilek, Financial Accountant
Steph started her career at Sandpiper within the Purchase Ledger department back in 2013 and has since progressed in different roles and departments within Finance, becoming an incredible source of knowledge on all things Sandpiper related and truly embodies the thirst for knowledge and development that we love our people to strive for! Steph is currently managing a team of three who are responsible for stock across the business. Due to the diverse nature of the business, this requires an in-depth knowledge on various systems and stock processes. Steph therefore enjoys digging into the detail and putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, which helps develop some great relationships amongst other teams and stores. Steph is currently studying towards both ACCA and CMI qualifications, making her a true over-achiever! Outside of work, Steph enjoys her down time and is a keen gym goer who likes to stay active but equally also loves nothing more than sitting in a cosy chair reading a good book!
Linda Huet, Store Manager Morrisons Daily St Aubin
Linda began her career with Sandpiper in 2011 as a General Assistant. With a lot of hard work, she worked her way up through the ranks to; Specialist General Assistant, Supervisor, Assistant Manager and finally Store Manager in 2016. Over the years, she has gained a passion for food retail and thrives working in a challenging, fast-paced environment - always aiming to continue improving herself, her team and the store. In her spare time, Linda enjoys travelling to new places, cooking and socialising with friends and family.
Jozelle Meyer, Financial Accountant
As a dedicated and detailed-orientated AGA (SA), Jozelle qualified as an Accountant in South Africa and has been living and working in Jersey for the past six years. With extensive experience across various sectors of the Finance industry, Jozelle joined the Sandpiper team in 2021 where she is responsible for statutory compliance across the various Sandpiper entities in the group. Coming from a mainly audit background, she loves the challenge of coordinating and managing the annual and interim audits and delivery of the group consolidated reporting.
Carrie Slowey-Dickinson, iQ Buying & Marketing Manager
Carrie has 20+ years of retail experience. She studied Theology & Literature at University, but whilst there was bitten by the retail bug and has held various managerial retail roles since. Carrie enjoys her Buying & Marketing role because no two days are ever the same. She can design an ad one minute, speak to a member of the iQ team the next, before moving on to scrutinising sales files to determine which products to purchase when. After a busy day in the office, Carrie then has to do it all again whilst juggling the needs of her wife and daughter, as well as the cat and the dog!
Lillian Lynch, Cash Office Manager
Lillian leads the Cash Office team and is one of our longest-serving colleagues having worked in the business for over 30 years. Originally from Dublin, Lillian moved to Jersey in 1991 and joined Marks & Spencer, beginning her career in the Foodhall at King Street. Since then, she has undertaken various roles within the franchise including Food Office Administrator, Assistant Buying Manager and Store Finance Manager, before moving to Head Office in 2021 when Finance functions were centralised. Growing within the business has enabled Lillian to have a wealth of knowledge on anything M&S or Cash Office related, and you might even find her helping with Food To Order requests over Christmas! Outside of work, Lillian enjoys baking, travelling and also walking to take advantage of Jersey’s beauty spots.
Adriana Bornman, Head of Commercial Finance
Adriana is an experienced Chartered Accountant with a passion for the Finance industry. She started her career at KPMG and gained expertise in various sectors such as Retail, Telematics, Pharmaceutical, and Manufacturing, going through the ranks to Senior Manager. Adriana then ventured out into Commerce and worked as the Group Financial Manager for Cartrack South Africa before relocating to Jersey. After taking some time to settle the family, Adriana joined Sandpiper. She heads up the Commercial Finance team overseeing all aspects of the business’ performance, new initiatives, and reporting across all brands. She enjoys working closely with Operational teams to influence commercial decision-making and provide insightful analysis. Her passion for Sandpiper’s brands is evident in everything she does, and she is dedicated to driving future business performance for the company. Outside of work, Adriana loves spending time with her family, listening to music and getting lost in a good book.
Zoeie Harvey, Store Manager Card Factory Isle of Man
Zoeie has been with Card Factory for 14 years, beginning as a Christmas temp when she was 19 years old. She has worked her way through the ranks, and when Sandpiper took over the company, Zoeie was promoted to Assistant Manager before being appointed to Store Manager in 2021. Zoeie loves working with people and values the relationships she has built over the years with her regular customers. Her team describe her as a strong, independent woman who inspires them every day!
Alina Barbu, Store Manager M&S St Peter
Alina has been with Sandpiper since 2015, where she began as a Customer Assistant at M&S King Street Foods. She worked her way through the ranks, from Section Coordinator and Section Manager to Store Manager of M&S St Peters in 2020. In her spare time, Alina likes to read and take long walks. She is also undertaking a CMI course Level 3 to help enhance her management skills.
Emma Brown, Brand Manager – Clothing Franchise
Emma has been at Sandpiper for five years and joined from TJX Europe (TK Maxx) where she held roles in Fashion Merchandising across Childrenswear, Home, Shoes and eCommerce. In leading the Buying and Merchandising function for Matalan and Crew, Emma adapts to changing markets and consumer trends to ensure the retail offering is always on trend and competitive. Emma builds and maintains strong relationships with our brands, which is key to delivering successful stock inventories that meet customer demand.
Oana Castel, Store Manager Morrisons Daily L’Islet
Oana relocated from Romania to Cambridge, UK, in 2004, where she began her career at Tesco. Whilst there, she progressed through various roles and departments, working at multiple sites around Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire, eventually becoming a Senior Team Manager. In 2021, Oana decided she wanted a new challenge, and when the opportunity to live and work in Guernsey presented itself, she took the plunge and hasn’t looked back. After delivering an excellent customer experience at Iceland Cobo, Oona currently manages Morrisons Daily L’Islet. In her free time, Oana enjoys shopping, travelling and walking around the beautiful island of Guernsey.
Andrea Ibañez Medina, Store Manager Crew Clothing Guernsey
Andrea is originally from Venezuela and has been in Guernsey for nearly five years. She began her career as a waitress at a local restaurant before joining Crew in 2022. Joining as a Supervisor, Andrea swiftly advanced to Store Manager after only five months. Andrea loves her job, serving customers, displaying new and exciting collections whilst developing her skill set. She is proud of her achievements thus far and looks forward to continuing to grow with Sandpiper. In her spare time, Andrea enjoys spending time with her family and boyfriend. She also enjoys getting out on her motorbike and exploring the beautiful island of Guernsey.
Sacha Bisson, Store Manager Hotel Chocolat Jersey
Sacha has been the Store Manager of Hotel Chocolat Jersey for 11 years and leads a great team of strong women in store. Prior to joining Sandpiper, Sacha owned a successful cake business so is clearly passionate about chocolate and sweet treats - there is very little she doesn’t know about her product. Sacha still enjoys baking and is a bit obsessed with Hotel Chocolat, as she always visits other stores to have a look when she is on holiday in the UK – a true chocolate connoisseur, you might say!
