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What happens when retail leaders step away from the day job to invest in their development? In this session, BRC Leaders' Summer School alumni share what the programme gave them, how it changed their approach to leadership, and the ripple effects back in their teams and businesses.

If you're weighing up whether Summer School is right for you or someone in your team, this is the honest view from people who've been through it.

What's covered

Alumni reflect on their time at Summer School and what they took back to the shop floor. The conversation covers the shift from knowing you need development to actually creating space for it, the value of learning alongside peers from across the retail industry, and how group coaching creates the conditions for real growth. Expect candid stories about vulnerability, self-awareness, and the kind of leadership that builds stronger teams.

Key takeaways

  • Stepping out of the business is how you come back better for it. Alumni describe the programme as a rare opportunity to think, reflect, and develop in a way that day-to-day retail rarely allows.
  • Vulnerability is a leadership strength, not a weakness. The most meaningful growth came from being open, being challenged, and being honest about where they wanted to develop.
  • Group coaching changes how you lead. Working through real challenges with peers builds confidence, sharpens thinking, and creates relationships that last long after the programme ends.
  • Curiosity and authenticity outperform certainty. Leaders who stay open and lead as themselves build stronger teams and make better decisions.
  • The retail network you build is as valuable as the learning itself. Alumni continue to lean on the connections they made throughout the programme.

Who should watch

HR and L&D leaders considering Summer School for their high-potential managers, and retail leaders thinking about their own next step in development.

Hosted by:

  • 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

  • Ewan MacDonald-Russell

    Head of Policy and External Affairs | SRC

    Email Ewan

  • Mike Broad

    General Manager | Furniture Village

    Mike is a General Manager at Furniture Village with over two decades of retail leadership experience, spanning Comet and DFS. He knows what it takes to lead at every level — from the shop floor to running a large-format store — and brings that grounded, practical perspective to everything he does.

    Mike's LinkedIn

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FEATURED EVENT

BRC Leaders Summer School

CPD-certified retail leadership programme | 100 years of heritage | Virtual & In-Person | Summer 2026 | From £2,495

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