“When I left university, I had this idea that I was going to do a PHD, but I needed to get a job. So I got a job in a shop and went from one role to the next.

“I became a store manager and then area manager, just working up the ladder that exists within retail and taking every opportunity that came along. I took some which I didn’t like, but I learnt from those, and that’s absolutely fine too.

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“The thing that worries me about plans is, when you get there, it’s not always what you thought it was going to be. You get very driven, but I think you start to exclude other opportunities – and that’s a real shame.”