#BWSMAGAZINE
“Strangely enough, retail is typically associated
with women but as soon as you add online/
tech to the retail environment, the highest
numbers generally fall with men. “People often
expect when I email as Toni, to hear a male’s
voice at the end of the line and many a time I’ve
been faced with ‘oh you’re a girl’ but I just laugh
it off. I’ve now added a photo of myself to my
email signature, so there’s no confusion.”
Toni had always been a bit of a tech geek and
was into basic coding – HTML for MySpace
pages and digging about fixing her own
computer. She applied for anything to get
experience and then came across the Account
Manager role at Competitor Monitor.
During her interview she realised just what a
progressive and inclusive company Competitor
Monitor was. With a diverse workforce and
forward thinking working environment the
company has a HQ in Newcastle but the wider
team are dispersed all over the UK, allowing for
a flexible working life.
In five years her career has progressed from
Account Manager to Operations Manager to
finally, Client Services Director. “I’m constantly
adapting to the tech environment which is
evolving as I progress in my career,” she said.
She said: “At first I wasn’t sure I would apply in
the fear of rejection, but I decided to chance
my luck. I was offered the job before I even
graduated from university. I knew that when I
joined they would nurture my natural talent and
boundless enthusiasm.”
“Whilst my role is predominantly customer
facing now, I’ve never let slip from techy roots.
I’m heavily involved with the back-end team
when it comes to developing new software
features. “In a client facing role, I’m the first
point of contact which means I completely
understand what our client is looking for.
Combine this with a background in technology,
and it’s a winning combination. I know how we
can make changes to the system and meet our
clients’ needs with our pricing system.
It quickly became apparent her skills stretched
further than account management and she
was soon involved with quality assurance
procedures, working with the back-end
developers allowing the tech geek inside to
flourish. As the team grew, so did her role in the
business. Competitor Monitor has continued its
approach to inclusivity and diversity and now
boasts an even 50:50 split in terms of male
and female employees, including its recently
appointed female finance director.
What does Toni feel her biggest achievement
has been so far? She does not hesitate in her
response: “Working with some of the high-
profile brands that I do.”
“I really enjoy the feeling that we make a
difference by making our clients competitive in
today’s challenging retail industry.”
Toni believes this makes both her and the
company unusual in the field. She said:
“The industry as a whole seems to be male
dominated. I’ve done a bit of research and
found there aren’t many female names which
pop up at the top of the tech food chain.
WHAT ARE TONI’S TOP
TIPS FOR SUCCESS?
“Surround yourself with a great team
of people that can bring skills you don’t
have. Networking is key to g