Dermot Boyd, Chief executive at QVC, tells Retail Week about his life working in retail.

Dermot Boyd

What was your first job in retailing?

Group financial controller at Alexon, having previously been in the chemicals and textiles industries. To end up in TV as well as retail was unexpected.

Which retail company do you admire most and why?

John Lewis for value for money, engaged staff and excellent customer service.

What is the trait you least like in yourself and why?

I have a tendency to be long-winded and should learn how to be more concise.

Who have you learnt most from in your retail career?

Doug Briggs, president of our parent company QVC Inc for many years. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of electronic retail.

What advice would you give someone starting out in retail?

Always engage with your customers – look at everything you do from their point of view.

What keeps you awake at night?

I need my sleep so pretty much nothing. In the 1990s recession, young children and a difficult business environment sometimes kept me awake. Now the kids have grown up and I’ve learned to relax about things I can’t control.

What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

The positive atmosphere.

What’s your proudest achievement?

Being part of the team that brought a whole new way of shopping to the UK, created numerous jobs and satisfied customers.

What job would you have done if you hadn’t become a retailer?

I had a holiday job in the laser section at Rutherford Laboratory so I might have been a nuclear physicist.

What’s your favourite shop and why?

Bookshops. Although I buy a lot of books online I love coming across the unexpected.

What was your last purchase?

Tickets for Edinburgh Fringe comedy shows. My son is in sketch group Wittank so he gives me recommendations.

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