Anthony Dean has swapped the shopfloor for the training rooms, as he looks to ensure all members of the team have access to the best resources and progression opportunities.

Dean has been with the decorating and DIY retailer for two years, most recently serving as Store Manager in Hackney. Before that he spent eight years as Commercial Manager at Marks & Spencer.

New recruits spend their first week at Leyland SDM in the company’s training academy before returning three to six months later to enhance their knowledge further.

At a later stage, they head back in the classroom once more, but this time to practice DIY tasks such as painting, plumbing and basic electrics so that they can offer practical advice to customers from first-hand experience.

Dean said: “I am delighted to have started this new role within the training team.

“One thing which has really impressed me since starting at Leyland SDM is the thorough induction process. New recruits are given a full week of training before being deployed in stores, looking at how to use the tills and some background information on the products. That is very unusual in retail and really stands Leyland SDM apart.

“My goal is to further enhance the training opportunities for other members of the team, including store managers and deputy managers. I want to encourage them to continue to develop within Leyland SDM and provide them with a platform to do so.

“We’re in a good place and I am looking forward to playing my part in taking the training offering to the next level.”