Carolyn Metcalfe
BSc(Hons) Botany, Bristol University. Joined ICI Paints: November 2004
European Purchasing Analyst
What were your first impressions of ICI? What influenced you to join?
I had quite strong preconceptions about ICI before I joined - my Dad worked for them for about 15 years, and my previous job was with an ex-ICI business. I’d always seen ICI as a very good employer: but also quite an old-fashioned, traditional company.
Has your view changed since then? How would you sum up ICI now? Both as a company and as an employer?
When I first joined, I was really surprised at how many young, energetic people there are here – and at how enthusiastic and committed everyone is to seeing the business succeed. I was also really impressed to see the number of women at top levels in the business.
In general, what are your main responsibilities?
I’m responsible for managing Purchasing’s finances across Europe: I’m basically the link between the purchasing community and the accountants. The job revolves around generating forecasts, for example, of trends in future raw material costs, which are communicated to the business - and then monitoring the actual delivery of these promises. It can be a scary amount of responsibility – I’m dealing with an area of spend worth hundreds of millions of pounds. Even small mistakes can be worth a lot of money!
Having said that, it can be very rewarding and motivating knowing that what I do has a real impact on the department, and on the business. I work closely with the whole European purchasing community, and with the finance team, giving me a great opportunity to build good relationships with colleagues across different countries and functions.
What are your interests away from work?
Outside of work, I sing, socialise and travel as much as I can! I’m taking French lessons at ICI at the moment, which will hopefully help me to communicate when I’m abroad – and might help if I decide to spend some time working in France.
What's next for you i.e., what does the future hold in store?
When it comes to the future – who knows! There are so many possibilities here at ICI, if you drive your own career you really can go wherever you want to. I’d like to work abroad at some point in the future, and to work in different parts of the business - and I’ve got every confidence that if I drive my own development, ICI will open the doors for me.
