Title: Commercial Manager
Name of Organisation: SBC
How long in present post? 3 years
What does your organisation do?
SBC manages a 27-acre site from Waterloo Bridge to County Hall, including the Hayward Gallery and Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, the Poetry Library, the Hungerford car park and Jubilee Gardens.
What are your responsibilities?
? Managing the commercial activities centred around the artistic activities throughout the South Bank Centre including:
? Hayward Shop ? overseeing the retail operation and developing relevant merchandise
? Catering ? eight outlets operated by three companies across the Hayward Gallery, Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall
? Retailing ? book and record shop concessions in the RFH and the RFH Shop
? Other income-generating operations such as car parking, outdoor vendors etc.
Who did you used to work for and what did you do?
? Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia: Merchandising Manager for science and design museum. Management of retail operations and product development
? NSW Cancer Council, Sydney, Australia: Merchandise Program Manager - ten retail outlets and mail order selling sun protection products
? Australian Broadcasting Corporation: Retail Promotions Manager for 15 ABC Shops selling TV and radio-related products
What do you enjoy most about your present post?
Working across the whole spectrum of activities here at SBC ? from major exhibitions at the Hayward like Sam Taylor-Wood, to David Bowie?s Meltdown Festival. No two days are the same!
What do you find most difficult in your present post?
I have a ?can do? attitude and I find it really hard to say no to all the challenging new proposals that seem to land on my desk!
What is your career ambition?
To always find myself working in a creative and challenging role.
Who has influenced your career to date most - and why?
My parents. They pushed me to be independent and to get out of the small country town where I grew up; and they indulged me and let me study art for four years.
If you could have done any job in the world what would you like to have done?
Shoe or accessory buyer for an upmarket retailer!
If you had three wishes for the future of the arts, what would they be?
? A finalised master plan for SBC, (Hayward Gallery, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, the Poetry Library, the Hungerford car park and Jubilee Gardens)
? The money to deliver the master plan!
? Planning permission for the master plan!