Mike Jones

What did you do before you joined ILG?

Before I joined ILG, I had experience in a few roles. My first office job was in the private banking sector. I have since worked in motor insurance, web sales and even the odd day as a brick layer. My career had never really hit any high points in these jobs and I had no real passion for any of the sectors I worked in.

Why did you join ILG?

Joining ILG gave me an opportunity to get into the fulfilment and logistics world. I joined ILG to explore this sector and to put my skills to the test in an environment I could really feel challenged in as it is always changing and evolving. After conducting some research before my interview it was very evident that ILG was a fast-growing company which would be exciting to be involved in.

What does your job involve?

I am responsible for a number of commercial elements at ILG. I spearhead our commercial agreements with our supplier base, making sure we are as competitive as we can be at all times and allows us to provide hugely competitive pricing for our clients across a broad range of services. In addition to this I head up our new business function and oversee the running of our sales team to ensure we are proactively targeting new clients and prospects.

What do you like most about your job?

I really enjoy keeping our suppliers on their toes and doing what I can to secure the best offer for our clients. There is a lot that goes into the process and eventual chase but I take a great deal of satisfaction when the opportunity arises to deliver commercial benefit back to the business that will give our clients a platform to build on.

“Overseeing and having influence on our sales activity, both now and for our future, is an amazing feeling and one I will never tire of.”

What training and development opportunities have you had at ILG?

Without realising it, you learn and develop on the job every day. With each difficult situation or query you learn from past experience and that helps when undertaking the work involved.

ILG provide extensive internal and external training courses and I have been lucky enough to gain a NCFE Level 2 certificate on a number of different subjects. The experience that my colleagues had when I joined was key in learning the role I moved into. Life experiences can sometimes be the best form of training you receive and this really helped in my early days with ILG.

How would you describe the working environment and culture?

It is a very fast-paced environment to come and work in. You need to be switched on from the moment you arrive to be at your best.

What advice would you give to anyone considering applying to ILG?

“Prepare to come in and hit the ground running. You need to be able to absorb a lot of information within your first few weeks. But the most important advice I could give anyone wishing to join ILG is always ask questions. Ask if you are not sure, ask if you are curious. If you don’t know why we do something or how we do something, never be afraid to ask.”