Meet the new boss

Can you tell us about your background and experience?

I’ve been an outdoor enthusiast since my teenage years, with a bit of a jack-of-all but master-of-none approach. A real passion for climbing took me all over the UK and abroad, peaking with a number of big wall ascents in Yosemite.

A ski season in Fernie, Canada. Backcountry canoeing in Algonquin, and more recently a self-guided trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon followed by the Great Divide mountain bike trail as our honeymoon.

As a retailer I’ve worked for Snow & Rock as well as Cotswold Outdoor over the last 13 years or so. This culminated as an Area Manager for Cotswold Outdoor in the northwest for the last four years.

What do you like doing in your spare time? Any adventure highlights you want to share?

Anything that gets us outdoors is the simplest answer. My wife and I have shared adventures as diverse as new routing in Cataluña, hiking in the High Sierras, canoeing in Algonquin National Park to coasteering in Cornwall.

Lately our adventures have taken on a slightly smaller, cuter dimension with the birth of our first child. This has made every adventure a little more poignant as well as closer to home.

A real highlight would be our honeymoon from 2013. We organised a self-guided trip down the Grand Canyon and then cycled the Great Divide, a 2,500 mile mountain bike route through the American Rockies. There’s a great film made by my wife called Megamoon, below.

Are you looking forward to living in the Lakes? Any plans and objectives?

We’re really looking forward to moving up to the Lakes. We had been talking about moving somewhere quieter and more rural for a while and this fits the bill perfectly. I’m certainly excited about bringing up our family in this part of the world with everything it has to offer.

As for plans, nothing specific at the moment. I’m keen to ride the passes on and off road, hike the fells and paddle and swim in the lakes.

What challenges do you anticipate in your new role?

George Fisher is an amazing company that has achieved an incredible amount in the last 60 years. It’s grown, weathered some serious storms both real and metaphorical, and is still standing proud on Borrowdale Road.

The retail environment is continuing to evolve and can be bruising for smaller organisations like George Fisher. The challenge is to make it stormproof by building on its great customer engagement and service. By making it relevant in the everyday lives of those people who shop there.

Where do you think George Fisher fits into the future of retail?

I feel George Fisher is well placed to take a place in the future of retail. We face some unique challenges in the near future, however the team here are our greatest asset and will provide the backbone for the developments that will shape the store in the coming years.