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Leadership development in retail has never been more important — or more complex. With over 200 retailers represented by the British Retail Consortium, building the next generation of leaders means designing learning that works at scale, across a hugely diverse industry.

In this session, we'll share how we've moved beyond traditional training to create leadership programmes that combine structured learning, mentoring and community — and how our partnership with Thrive makes it possible. You'll hear the real story behind our programmes: what shaped our early decisions, what we've learned along the way, and what your organisation could take from our approach.

Sign up to the webinar here

Or, email Vicki, our Head of Learning

Vicki Young

Head of Learning

This webinar will:

1

We've listened and built something different

We've heard directly from our members about the real challenges retail leadership faces. These aren't off-the-shelf programmes. They're built around what the industry actually needs, right now.

2

A blueprint for leadership at scale

We work with 200+ retailers across one of the UK's most diverse industries. Come and see how we're helping organisations build leadership capability that goes beyond the course — and actually sticks.

3

Learning that connects, creates and sustains

We moved away from traditional training because we knew it wasn't enough. Our programmes combine structured learning, mentoring and community to connect the industry, spark new thinking, and create the kind of change that lasts.

Meeting Facilitator

  • Vicki Young

    Head of Learning

    Vicki is an experienced people professional who brings a rich background in HR leadership to her role as Head of Learning for BRC Learning at the BRC. 

    Before joining the BRC, Vicki spent nearly a decade at World Duty Free, one of the UK's most prominent travel retailers, where she rose to Regional HR Manager for the South of England. In that role she held responsibility for around 1,000 employees across 14 locations, leading a team of 12 HR professionals and driving the full employee lifecycle. Her work centred on building strong business partnerships, delivering people-focused change, and developing leaders at every level of the organisation — giving her a grounded, commercial perspective on what effective learning really looks like in a retail environment.

    She now brings that operational depth to BRC Learning, where since 2021 she has led the learning offer for one of the UK's most influential retail bodies, helping shape the skills and careers of people across the sector.

    Vicki's LinkedIn
    Email Vicki

  • Debbie Fearson

    Account Director | Thrive

    Debbie Fearson is Account Director at Thrive, bringing over 25 years of experience in retail, learning and development, and customer success.

    Debbie spent nearly two decades at Ted Baker, where she progressed from General Manager to Global Digital Development Partner — giving her a deep, practical understanding of how large retail organisations learn, grow and develop their people. That frontline and strategic experience informs everything she does.

    Since joining Thrive in 2022, Debbie has worked closely with organisations to help them get the most from their learning technology — moving from Customer Success Lead to Account Director, and building a reputation for understanding what actually makes learning programmes work in complex, fast-moving environments.

    She brings both sides of the table to every conversation: what it feels like to be a learner and leader in retail, and what it takes to deliver development at scale.

    Debbie 's LinkedIn
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