Journey Home: From Travel Consultant to Procurement Pro at KWL

After a career in travel consultancy and various customer service roles, Nicola embarked on a new journey at KWL following her 16-year hiatus from Hull. Joining the Procurement Department in 2022 on maternity cover, she transitioned into a permanent role as Buyer, in October.

Boomerang

Nicola, originally from East Hull, spent 16 fulfilling years in Norwich, where she met husband James and together they started a family. In 2017, husband, James, who had since become a fan of Hull, proposed a family move to Nicola’s hometown for additional family support. Initially reluctant having moved away from the city so long ago, she has discovered a better quality of life in Hull, with her mum providing invaluable support, picking up the girls from school and offering extra help during holidays.

“When it was suggested, I really didn’t want to move back, but now we are all very happy and enjoy living here.”

Encouraged by her husband James, who works in the finance team at KWL, Nicola found herself at the interview table.

“I hadn’t actually been looking for a new job, but when the opportunity came up, my husband suggested I take a look.

“Working for the same company works well. Whilst we’re on the other side of the office, we often go for walks to get some fresh air at lunchtime and we are both very happy working for the same company. It’s a great testament to KWL that he was so keen for me to join too. KWL is a fantastic employer, and offers a very good pace of life.”

In her role as a buyer, Nicola works alongside another Buyer and Senior Buyer to assist with the day-to-day processes on the subcontractor side. Additionally, she collaborates with the Procurement and Facilities Manager, on maintaining annual contracts for facilities that are in place and any building repairs as and when they arise.

“I find being a buyer much more fulfilling than my previous role in customer service; while it’s a completely different function, I still get to utilise my interpersonal skills in a similar fashion.”

Balancing professional life

As a mother to two primary school-aged daughters who have just received mobile phones for Christmas, Nicola is amazed by the swift uptake of technology by children, she said: “I didn’t have a mobile phone until I was 17; times have changed so much. If you need to know something, we go straight to Google. My daughters enjoy sharing funny messages on our family WhatsApp which have been a good source of laughter.”

Apart from family time, Nicola has found a great way to meet new people after returning to Hull and trying to lose weight in the meantime. “At Clubbercise we dance in the dark with glow sticks and Broadway Boogie is a dance/fitness class to music from stage and movies.”