Conversation with… People in Retail Awards Judge Shane Ashby-Roche
Here we speak with Shane Ashby-Roche, Head of Organisational Development and Culture at The White Company, about his career to date and why he has chosen to return as a judge for this year’s People in Retail Awards. He also shares why people focused awards are so important to the retail sector right now and offers practical advice on how and why retailers should enter.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at The White Company?
Subscribe to TRBI’ve been at The White Company for ten years, I joined from previous Learning and Development roles in House of Fraser and Liberty London, where I’d been working alongside their Heads of Retail developing teams on the shop floor. The opportunity at The White Company was exciting because it allowed me to start partnering with Head Office teams for the first time.
During the last decade, I’ve been lucky enough to grow my career and experience across most roles within the L&D function. Halfway through my time here, I also did a two-year secondment working with IBM on a Business Change project, it developed my project management skills and highlighted the importance of ensuring people are at the forefront of all change initiatives – a pivotal career moment for me.
When I returned to The White Company people team, I used these skills to focus specifically on project managing our people projects, essentially exploring how we could enhance our employee experience across the employee lifecycle. Eventually, I had the opportunity to lead the L&D function, which I did for just under three years focusing on leadership development and aligning our offering with newly established behaviours. That’s when I was first introduced to the awards in 2024, entering our work in the ‘People Development Team of the Year’ categories – which we eventually went on to win.
My current role, Head of Organisational Development and Culture, was created around 18 months ago, I lead the L&D, internal communications and engagement teams within our People Team and work closely with our charity partner The King’s Trust.
When people ask me to describe my role and its purpose, I highlight its importance in ensuring our people are given opportunities to develop, to feel listened to, and to understand what’s happening across the business. Essentially, helping them feel connected and engaged with why we do what we do here at The White Company.
As a returning judge, what made you want to get involved again this year?
As I enjoyed it so much last year, I jumped at the chance to be involved again. It broadened my perspective on what retail is and what working in retail can look like.
Some of the entries were genuinely a privilege to read. I remember writing comments like, “This was such a pleasure to read,” or “This really touched me” during the judging process.
There was one from the funeral sector, something I didn’t expect, and the story genuinely stayed with me. Having lost my mum when I was 17, I felt a real connection reading how one entrant held a young boy’s hand during an incredibly difficult moment. Those human stories go far beyond retail; they’re about compassion.
It’s a privilege to read these incredible stories and champion them. I was devastated not to attend the awards event last year due to work commitments. I genuinely wanted to find the finalists in the room and tell them how much their entries stayed with me.
I can still recall several of the entries word for word, they really stick with you. It’s an opportunity for me to reconnect with the deeper “why” behind what I do, beyond my own organisation.
Why do you believe people focused awards are so important for the retail industry right now?
Storytelling. We’re in a time where so much attention is on numbers, systems and processes, most of which are beyond our control. But when you go to a keynote or an event, people don’t remember what a system does. They remember the human story someone shares.
If I think about the defining moments in my own career, they’re all about people; those who gave me opportunities or who I worked closely with. The people behind the business metrics are the ones who drive success.
What advice would you give to first-time entrants?
Firstly, look at the criteria, but don’t panic if you can’t tick every box. Focus on what made you want to enter in the first place. What story are you trying to amplify? What impact did it have?
Impact looks different for different teams. In L&D, for example, measuring impact can be tricky. Sometimes it’s more about sentiment than data. So, think about how to capture that sentiment: quotes, feedback, real voices.
One standout entry I read last year was from a pharmacy that gathered quotes from customers about what it meant to shop there. Those testimonials stayed with me far more than any sales figures.
If you’re mid-project, use the criteria as your guiding star. I tell my teams to look at the kinds of awards we aspire to, whether we win or not, and ask “What would we want to be standing on stage saying about our work?” That helps you focus your data gathering and storytelling throughout the year.
And crucially, you can register for the awards but don’t have to finalise your application right now. Use the months leading up to the deadline to build your application. Capture feedback as you go so you’re not scrambling at the end.
In short: don’t be overwhelmed by the criteria; balance sentiment with data; show the real impact on people.
What message would you share with retailers who are thinking of entering?
Retail is an incredible place to build a career, but it’s also a hard place to be right now and has been for some time. Customers are more demanding, the numbers aren’t always where we want them to be, and it’s not always easy to pick ourselves up.
That’s why it’s so important to celebrate the wins, even the small ones. Even if your stores or teams haven’t hit every target, you’ve still done amazing things. Celebrate those stories and those people.
And speaking from experience after writing our own application in the past, it’s incredibly rewarding to pause and reflect on what you and your teams have achieved. My role, in any business, is to remind people to celebrate their successes, however big or small.
When you’re applying, you’re not comparing yourself to anyone else. You’re simply telling your story. Leave the comparing to the judges.
Entries for The People in Retail Awards are now open. Find out more and register here
