Ashley Wilson

Ashley Wilson started his career with The Cumberland as a cashier working Saturdays in one of its branches. Now he deals with change of another sort as part of the building society’s Technology and Change team.

Ashley says he has loved every minute of his time with The Cumberland.

Describe your role at The Cumberland…

I am Business Manager for our Change and Technology function here at The Cumberland. This involves helping with the day to day running of the department whatever that may look like. We need to make sure we’re efficiently delivery change for the business, improving things day by day whilst also keeping our Technology running and it’s my role to help in whatever way is necessary to make sure that happens.

I spend a lot of time trying to make sure we drive engagement in change and improve what we have and what we do. You need an open mind and desire to change things for the better. We're always looking to make things better.

It’s not often people really think they’re going to have a career in change; it's not something I thought about when I was at school. But I was interested in technology, and now I am in a leadership team who steer the society through change and improving Technology.

How has your career developed at The Cumberland?

I was in sixth form when I applied for a Saturday job as a branch assistant. It was a great job. I really enjoy working in the branch. I was starting to cover holidays and do extra work. I still had a keen interest in technology, and then a role came up in testing, so I applied for it. I decided university wasn’t the route I wanted to take and I became a trainee test analyst. I worked my way up in the team; the good part of working for The Cumberland is you can see ways to progress.

I was inquisitive, I asked questions, and after progressing through the Test Analyst grades, I got a promotion to team leader before going on to manage the team. It was a really different role which wasn’t easy at times, but I had good people around me who gave me the support I needed.

After this, I started as Business Manager for CITO about a year ago. I'm really proud of where I am. It's not often you have a chance to look back, but I’m pleased with my progress to date.

Did you always want to work in this field?

I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was at school, but I had an interest in technology. I never imagined being in this role; it just evolved. When my friends went to university, I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to do. I really enjoyed being at The Cumberland. I felt like I was in the right place for me.

What guidance do you have for young people who aspire to work in a role like yours?

Hard work pays off. It’s not easy and you do have setbacks. You might want to become a senior manager, but you have to work hard every day to get there. If you talk to most people in senior positions, they started from the bottom and worked their way up to where they are.

To achieve big goals, I think people should set smaller goals daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. It's fine to want to be a CEO, but you have to meet the smaller goals first which all add up.

I think the simple things are important and shouldn’t be overlooked. Don’t be shy, be a friendly face, and get involved. Be known for the right reasons, stand out, and share your knowledge. If you want to progress, have a conversation with your manager and find out what you can do to achieve it. Make yourself the obvious choice when promotion comes around.

What advice do you have for someone applying for a job at The Cumberland?

Apply, make a call, and ask questions. Look at the values we have. We’re customer-led and if this is what you think is important, start applying.