10 QUESTIONS WITH... 10 QUESTIONS WITH… KATY BLACK


Each issue we ask an industry professional the Tomorrow’s Tile & Stone 10 Questions. This month, we chatted to Katy Black, Marketing Director from Verona.


Q1


WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST JOB?


When I was 16 and still at school, I worked part time as a waitress in a local restaurant called Pecks. We had to present a sample of each dish to guests before we took their orders, explaining the ingredients and how it was cooked. I loved working there and it taught me a lot about teamwork, how to present things and customer service.


Q2 Q3 Q4


HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE TILE/


STONE INDUSTRY? I’d worked as a brand manager in the kitchen industry for four years and fancied a change, but knew I wanted to stick with interiors-related products. I saw a job advertised at Ceramic Prints 13 years ago and it went from there.


WHO, IN ANY OTHER INDUSTRY, DO YOU


MOST ADMIRE? I’m a huge fan of Mary Portas. I admire her ability to get to the heart of what’s going on in retail, and her straight talking personality.


IF MONEY WAS NO OBJECT, WHAT CAR


WOULD YOU BUY? I’m not too fussy about cars but a vintage Porsche 911 would be nice. Though if money was no object, I’d be more likely to buy a horse instead!


Q5


IF YOU COULD INVENT ONE PRODUCT TO


MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER,


WHAT WOULD IT BE? Something that would enable me to be in two places at once. There’s always so much going on and so many things to do, and I wish I could spend more time in stores visiting retailers.


— 32 — Q6 Q7


WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU


WERE GROWING UP? It varied from air hostess to vet to journalist. Marketing was never really on my radar, I got into it by chance and discovered I enjoyed it.


WHAT DO YOU DO TO UNWIND?


I enjoy being active, especially outdoors. When I need to relax, I’ll do a Pilates class, walk in the countryside or go horse riding. Though my ultimate happy place is swimming in the sea.


Q8 Q9


IF YOU COULD HOST A DINNER PARTY WITH


ANY THREE GUESTS, DEAD OR ALIVE, WHO WOULD THEY


BE AND WHY? David Attenborough because he’s a legend, Mary Portas so I could pick her brains about retail, and my grandfather on my mother’s side as he passed away before I was born so I never got to meet him.


IF YOU COULD VISIT ANY PLACE IN THE


WORLD, WHERE WOULD YOU


GO AND WHY? It’s hard to pick just one as I love travelling and visiting new countries.


www.tomorrowstileandstone.co.uk


Going on safari in South Africa is on my wish list.


Q10


PAUL DORAN, SOUTHERN


REGIONAL COLLEGE AND WORLDSKILLS UK TRAINING MANAGER, ASKED: WHAT MORE CAN WE DO TO ATTRACT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO CONSIDER A


CAREER IN TILING? Tiles are much more fashionable now than they were 10 years ago so it’s a great time to try and attract more young people into the industry. We need to engage with them on the channels they use, for example Instagram and TikTok, and show how rewarding a career in tiling could be.


www.veronagroup.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34