In this new monthly series, we interview CEOs, finding out how they got to where they are now. This month, we meet Natasha Adams from Tesco Ireland …
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost 3 decades since Tesco arrived on these shores: 1997, to be precise. The boss of the Irish business explained how she started her career on the shop floor in Asda in the UK “a long time ago.” Like many people who work their way up in an industry, Natasha is a font of knowledge. She’s done and seen it all: from making pizzas and decorating cakes to managing people and operations as Group Chief People Officer before being appointed CEO.
Born in Co Kerry, Natasha’s parents and six siblings moved to the UK in the 1980s when she was eight. She studied to be a primary teacher and quickly realised; “It wasn’t for me. I had a choice, so I decided I’d try retail.” She’s now 27 years in Tesco and the rest, as they say, is history.
When asked by Group CEO Ken Murphy three years ago; “Have you ever thought about being a CEO?,” she replied; “I’d only ever want to be Tesco Ireland CEO.”
Shortly after, she was on her way home to Ireland with her Scottish husband and two young daughters as CEO, admitting; “The breadth of the job was frightening at the start, but I absolutely love it. There’s no average day; one minute I could be worrying about how good the bananas are in a store, then signing off the company’s three year profit budgets, to talking to a government representative about a policy issue.”
Looking back to Tesco’s arrival in Ireland, she said; “A lot of people felt then that brands that originate from outside Ireland are not Irish-centric.” Today, Tesco Group is the single biggest buyer of Irish food and drink in the world, buying more than one 1.6 billion worth annually because Irish food provenance and quality is second-to-none. In Ireland, Tesco has 183 stores, employs over 13,500 people directly and thousands more indirectly. Supporting over 500 small to medium size Irish food and drink suppliers, Natasha is proud of the many Irish farming families they work with, often from generation to generation; a trend replicated in terms of Tesco colleagues – with children and grandchildren all part of the Irish workforce.
However, grocery retailing is fiercely competitive and has changed dramatically in the past five years. The pandemic, geopolitical events, climate issues and tariffs have had impacts – both from an inflationary and supply chain perspective, with increased regulation and associated costs – which, when combined with changing consumer behaviour, online competition and the rising cost-of-living, results in a very challenging landscape. Citing a focus on value and their own brand product range, as well as their F&F clothes and homes brand, Natasha believes Tesco has “certainly shifted perceptions and strengthened customer relationships.”
There’s no doubt that their community involvement, which is now focused on children, is extensive. The popular Community Fund in stores is hugely successful with local charities. Their partnership with Children’s Health Foundation raised €1 million last year and, earlier this year, they announced a new partnership supporting children’s health called the “Stronger Starts Food” programme. Providing fresh fruit and vegetables to thousands of children who need support through 240 primary DEIS schools, research has shown that the programme is already working. Natasha says that Tesco invests in keeping the price of healthy, fresh food affordable.
So, how and when does Natasha have a life away from work? Being at home with her girls “restores her” along with date nights with her husband. As one of seven children (and some 21 grandchildren), she laughs that; “There’s always something happening!” Her parents had the opportunity to buy back the family home 25 years ago, which is now the beating heart of the extended family. Trips there are organised with “military precision” in which her role, not surprisingly, is “the fixer, who keeps calm and finds solutions.”
She reckons that being in Kerry with family and friends keeps her grounded as one of the gang. Full of energy and deeply committed to what she does, she exudes a genuine zest for life that’s quite infectious.
SEE MORE: Catching Up With The CEO – Abi Moran