Alok

My name is Alok Sharma and right now I am positioned in Anglia, which is one of our 11 regions, and I am working on the People Engagement Project.

I am a Ship Captain by profession. I joined sea at 17 and have spent the last 18 or 19 years in the transport and distribution industry.

My first project was in Royal Mail Tracked, which is one of our products, and the specific project was around improving our quality. So my first project was contributing directly towards transformation in what is the biggest transformation in Europe.

We are at the Jubilee Mailing Centre in Hounslow. What you have around you is a testament to the modernisation of Royal Mail. By looking at our new machines, the Walk Sequencing Machines, the Intelligent LSMs, you really learn how we are modernising. The fundamental changes in our operations, how they pan out on the ground, you can only learn by doing a night shift in a mailing centre.

I think the attributes that are required for the STEP are: leadership – the STEP is fundamentally created to basically nourish the leadership that the top management need for tomorrow; change management – how do you resist, how do you break down the barriers to change, how do you resist the common obstacles that come your way? And I think another important quality is really the commercial awareness; we are a business, but you’ve got to deliver it, taking all the people with you along and basically giving good value for the customer.

For me the great benefits are working with some great people. Meeting some really dedicated people who believe in Royal Mail and are proud to work for the brand and that enthuses you with a new energy. The STEP gives you a platform to perform. So what you’ve got to do is use that platform to the best of your ability.