Penelope (Penny) Mary Wilkinson
Riversdale,Bourne End
Summary
I am a driven individual with excellent people skills to ensure excellent customer service at all times.
Managing a branch, sometimes on my own, demonstrates my ability to lead people under pressure, hitting daily targets, making quick decisions and being flexible and accountable at all times.
I have vast experience in the partner lifecycle to include:
recruitment interviews, offers and rota planning (ensuring correct working time adherence) inductions, budget monitoring, disciplinary and grievance and wellbeing. Mentoring and training partners.
Plus while at Talent Acquisition, I completed vacancies, screening and onboarding.
I trained all partners in the use of Workday when it was launched.
I am an excellent administrator. My tasks have also included staff absence, health and safety compliance, letter writing and email responses. I can use Workday, GCM, Microsoft and Google IT packages.
I have experience of working in a hybrid role.
Overview
37
37
years of professional experience
14
14
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Partner/Team Manager/Talent Acquisition Asst
Waitrose High Wycombe 607
High Wycombe
02.2016 - Current
- I joined Waitrose in High Wycombe in 2016. I started by working 2 days a week as a Supermarket Assistant primarily working on the Welcome Desk
- February 2018 to September 2019 I was ATM Service and my principal roles were: Line manager to 24 staff members (partners); Completing weekly compliance review; Ensuring rotas were accurate and resourcing was adequate; Floor Manager; Partner holidays for 100 partners, Partner Voice Rep
- September 2019 to June 2021, I moved to ATM Partner and Compliance. For the first 12 months I was principally working on the Partner side, supporting the Deputy Branch Manager in her role and being in charge of branch recruitment. This included hiring 30 new drivers for our new delivery service – this involved scheduling interviews, holding interviews and making decision on final hirings. Once hired in, I oversaw their probation periods ensuring they had monthly meetings with their new line manager, to ensure that we retained the recruits and gave them a positive experience. I successfully launched our new Personnel System, Workday in branch to all 170 partners on time and during the Covid pandemic. I also oversaw compliance for the branch, ensuring weekly and monthly health and safety checks were completed. In addition, I completed risk assessments.
- June 2021 to January 2022 – ATM Retail – direct line manager to 37 partners with similar responsibilities to those as ATM Service, except the partners worked on the shopfloor retail side. Whilst doing this role I set up a new system of making partners accountable for their reduction paperwork, to ensure improved compliance.
- January 2022 to June 2023– TM Service in a Leadership Team of 8, in a branch of 200 partners. Direct line manager for 35 partners, being responsible for recruitment, induction, appraisals and day to day line management. The partners in my section worked on the counters, welcome desk and in the cafe. This is a highly compliant food safety area and I completed a weekly audit. Duty manager role on the shopfloor - managing all partners during the shift; engaging with customers to ensure they receive an excellent level of service; ensuring branch is compliant from a health and safety aspect.
- June 2023- November 2024– TM Partner. I was responsible for all branch recruitment and disciplinary and grievance. This included rota and absence management plus ensuring pay budgets are adhered to. I also oversaw all health and wellbeing, ensuring partners are supported through any health difficulties. As the only fully experienced TM in Disciplinary and Grievance, I would take on the majority of cases. This is a role I enjoy. It is important to balance the needs of partners and the business. I set up a Team Leader programme and have successfully seen Level 10 partners be promoted to specialists/keyholders and team leaders. I have also mentored newly appointed TMs in their roles, passing on the knowledge I have.
- November 2024 – August 2025 and December 2025 to date – Level 10 Duty Partner/Team Leader I stepped down to deal with a family illness and a house flood. I now the TM Service with her tasks – compliance training, rota management. Doing a Duty Manager role when required. I also work on the welcome desk.deli counter and in the café.
- August 2025 – December 2025 Talent Acquisition Co-ordinator Secondment working with TA to action the Christmas recruitment project.
Chairman and Secretary of PTA
St Helen's School, Northwood
Northwood
09.2012 - 11.2017
- Running the PTA diary and liaising with staff, parents and other PTA members
- Setting up meetings
- Writing minutes
- Planning and running annual events raising some £25,000pa
- Ensuring other members carry out their roles
Games Maker
London Olympics, Stratford
Stratford
06.2012 - 08.2012
- I was honoured to get a major role at the Olympics. I was allocated to the Libyan Athletics Team where I am acted as their personal assistant. The role was varied but my main responsibility was to ensure the athletes got to the venue and their events on time. I also carried out administration for them and guided them around London for sightseeing.
Volunteer
Michael Sobell Hospice – Northwood
Northwood
09.2008 - 04.2012
- I was a Volunteer from September 2008 to July 2009 and then again from November 2011 to April 2012 (I was at Medical School in between times)
- My main role was serving refreshments and talking to patients and their families
Chairman and Committee Member
Loudwater Residents' Association, Loudwater
Loudwater
09.2002 - 03.2009
- Ran the theatre club
- Edited the Residents’ magazine
- Organised and ran monthly meetings
- Organised annual children’s party
- Oversaw planning issues
English Teacher
Japan Airlines, Tokyo
Tokyo
04.1997 - 04.1998
- Teaching flight attendants in written and spoken English
Credit Risk Management Lending Assistant
Swiss Bank Corporation, London
London
03.1994 - 02.1995
- Corporate Lending
- Customer Service
- Administration
Assistant Branch Manager
TSB Bank Plc, London
London
11.1988 - 03.1994
- I started as a bank clerk working my way up to Assistant Branch Manager. Main skills:
- Managing staff
- Lending Officer including bad debt management
- Administration duties and customer service
Management Trainee
John Lewis Plc, Peter Jones London
London
09.1988 - 11.1988
- Retail sales assistant
Education
MBBS - Medicine
St George’s University of London Medical School
London 09.2009 - 05.2011
Associateship - Chartered Institute of Bankers Exams
Watford/West Herts College/Rapid Results
Watford 09.1990 - 06.1997
A' Level - Biology, Chemistry, Food and Nutrition
Dr Challoner’s High School
09.1982 - 07.1988
Skills
- Attention to detail with excellent communication skills
- Time management and organization skills
- Working in a team - both in branch and remotely
- Detailed experience of the Partner Lifecycle
- People Management
- Customer Service skills
- Skilled in Workday, GCM, Google, Microsoft Packages
Affiliations
- baking
- pilates
- choir
HOBBIES
Baking, playing tennis, pilates
Other Information
In March 1995, we moved to Tokyo. I carried out various voluntary roles in Tokyo from June 1995 to April 1988 – the main one being Secretary of the Tokyo Church Women’s Society. This involved administering the members’ database of some 650 members. I was also Class Co-ordinator, timetabling members’ classes and liaising with teachers., In April 1998 we moved to Hong Kong. I was the Tennis Class co-ordinator for the American Club. This involved timetabling 30 tennis classes a week and ensuring members and coaches were informed. Additionally I was on the committee for the Hong Kong Netball Team., I also undertook a 2 month project for my former employers, Swiss Bank during my time in Hong Kong – a compliance role checking loan documentation.
Timeline
Partner/Team Manager/Talent Acquisition Asst
Waitrose High Wycombe 607
02.2016 - Current
Chairman and Secretary of PTA
St Helen's School, Northwood
09.2012 - 11.2017
Games Maker
London Olympics, Stratford
06.2012 - 08.2012
MBBS - Medicine
St George’s University of London Medical School
09.2009 - 05.2011
Volunteer
Michael Sobell Hospice – Northwood
09.2008 - 04.2012
Chairman and Committee Member
Loudwater Residents' Association, Loudwater
09.2002 - 03.2009
English Teacher
Japan Airlines, Tokyo
04.1997 - 04.1998
Credit Risk Management Lending Assistant
Swiss Bank Corporation, London
03.1994 - 02.1995
Associateship - Chartered Institute of Bankers Exams
Watford/West Herts College/Rapid Results
09.1990 - 06.1997
Assistant Branch Manager
TSB Bank Plc, London
11.1988 - 03.1994
Management Trainee
John Lewis Plc, Peter Jones London
09.1988 - 11.1988
A' Level - Biology, Chemistry, Food and Nutrition
Dr Challoner’s High School
09.1982 - 07.1988