Whatever your skills, talent or expertise, you could put it to work across our business. Here are some of the people who are doing just that after a career in the military.
As a Shift Engineering Manager here at Morrisons, Tom Pickersgill has found a fantastic new home for the transferable skills he picked up during 7 years as a Ground Electrical Tech in the Air Force. What’s more, he also found that the transition to civilian life wasn’t quite as daunting as he first imagined.
"Before joining Morrisons, I spent 7 years in the the Air Force as a Ground Electrical Tech. I started my career there as an apprentice learning the trade, before being deployed internationally where I supported major UK operations.
“Transitioning out of the armed forces seemed daunting at first. But it turned out to be a much simpler process than I imagined, thanks to the transferable skills I picked up in the forces. And I now use these skills every day as a Shift Engineering Manager here at Morrisons.
"My role is all about inspiring and motivating my team to deliver results on each and every shift. We look after repairs and maintenance, co-ordinate priorities, investigate accidents and incidents, and collaborate with our production teams so that we minimise the impact of any delays.
“But what I really love about working here is that my job challenges me to improve and succeed, just as much as working in the forces did. And I’m playing my part in feeding the nation too, which is something I’m really proud of.”
As a Threat and Vulnerability Manager within the Information and Security Team, Graham Henshall has met the huge challenge of understanding where to go next and what to do once you leave the armed forces. And he discovered that even during the middle of a pandemic, Morrisons is an incredibly welcoming place to build a career.
“Before Morrisons, I spent around four and a half years in the armed forces as an Infanteer
Within the First Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. In that time, I travelled around the world, to Canada, The Falklands, Ascension Island, Belgium and more. From there, I joined the reserve forces and was based in Manchester and this is where I began developing my skills in military intel."
“After leaving the military, I worked as a security guard and as a lorry driver, but I found that the biggest challenge of transitioning into a civilian career was understanding what I really wanted to do. So, I eventually joined a major retail bank as an IT apprentice where I secured a role in the Network Security Team, and the rest is history!”
“I started working with Morrisons towards the end of 2020 as Threat and Vulnerability Manager within the Information and Security Team. Despite the world being in the middle of a pandemic, I’ve found it a welcoming place to be.”
As Technical Manager at our Flaxby manufacturing site, Tora Honsby-Bland is making the most of the transferable skills she developed while serving 16 years in the British Army. And, thanks to Morrisons and the CTP, she’s settled in to civilian life with ease.
“I joined Morrisons in 2013 as an Operations Team Manager, then moved to the technical stream, and I’m now the Technical Manager at Flaxby. I’m responsible for the safety and quality of all of the carrots and onions we supply to our stores and our third party customers.”
“My career began in the British Army, and I served 16 years as an officer in the Royal Logistics Corps. Leaving the armed forces for civilian life was very daunting, but the Career Transition Partnership helped me understand that I had many transferable skills, from leadership and management, to organising and planning, through to dealing with pressurised situations.”
“But what I also discovered is that if you treat people the way you’d like to be treated, you’ll settle in to civilian life with ease.”
“I joined the Morrisons team in May 2020, and I’m currently responsible for securing our customer, colleague and business data as well as delivering the cyber security controls that protect our information systems. I oversee a wide range of initiatives that are delivered by both colleagues and partners, including the Security Operations Centre, Systems Access and InfoSec Risk Management.”
“I’ve worked in Communications, IT Management and Cyber Security for more than 35 years. I spent a large part of my career in the Royal Air Force where I served for over 22 years in a number of roles around the world including Northern Ireland, Berlin, Falkland Islands and Oman. Life in the armed forces is uniquely rewarding, but it also shapes servicemen and women to operate under challenging conditions that you may not experience in a civilian career. And while it leaves you with some very useful skills, it can also be difficult to adapt to a career outside of the armed forces, especially if you’ve served for many years - and this is where organisations like Morrisons can really help.”
“During my time in the military, I was lucky to have received some first class training in cyber security, which mapped easily to the needs of most industries, and I’m definitely putting this to use at Morrisons. However in my experience, the real benefits that ex-servicemen/women bring to an organisation is an excellent work ethic and an understanding that whatever their specific role, it supports the overarching corporate mission. What also helps is the adaptability of our armed forces - we’re expected to meet all kinds of different objectives with every mission, often in challenging and diverse environments, and this can be of huge value to any organisation.”
“During my career outside of the military, I’ve also been fortunate enough to have had very supportive managers who have helped me move from technical roles, to supervisory roles, and ultimately into leadership positions. I think it’s important for businesses to look beyond first impressions when recruiting new colleagues and that it’s also important to consider the potential of existing team members - and this one of the things I like about working at Morrisons.”
“I couldn’t have guessed the career path that I would follow after leaving the RAF, but much of my progress has been down to others who have given me a chance. Now I’m at Morrisons, I keep this in mind when I’m looking to recruit or develop colleagues into their next roles, and I believe that everyone benefits without exception - the individual, the team and the organisation.”
