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CIVILIAN CAREER AND ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE TRAINING THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

The seed of the idea of joining the Royal Naval Reserve was planted at University.  Kiera studied Biomedical Sciences at King’s College London, and having sailed for most of her life, decided to join the University Royal Navy Unit (URNU).  “I loved it.  We met once a week, like any other society. At weekends we did adventurous training, and leadership and management qualifications. It was fantastic to train alongside like-minded people and make friends,” commented Kiera.

Kiera in her professional, civilian role with Greencore

Kiera now works for Greencore, one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of convenience foods, as a Purchasing Excellence Partner. She is part of a dynamic new team who are looking at innovative new ways of working. “One of the ways that the Navy has complemented my civilian career is through leadership and management. At a basic level, you have to be confident standing up and presenting, or mapping out a new idea. But the strategic thinking side of my business career is really important, and so many of the skills I have, I built up in the Navy.  And vice versa, everything I learn about Project Management in my day job goes straight into my Reserve duties. It’s a win win!”

Building on individuals strengths

“One task we worked on at Dartmouth was about individual leadership styles and how to make a team more effective.  I could see that this would be of relevance at work, so I presented an idea to my team, and they asked me to build it into a tool.  It’s now used to help managers understand the dynamics of their team better, and to help team members appreciate and get the best out of each others’ strengths,” explained Kiera.

A spokesperson for Greencore said: “We’re proud of the work that Kiera is doing as a Reservist. At Greencore we encourage as many colleagues as possible to get involved in organisations and activities that support and help our local communities and wider society. Kiera is an excellent example of a colleague who has this ethos at the core.”

Kiera (with HMS Sherwood colleague Afton Fitzhenry) passing out from Britannia Royal Naval College

Invited to join the board of the Tall Ships Trust

Kiera is also the youngest Board member of the Tall Ships Sailing Trust, which offers life-changing adventures at sea to disadvantaged young people.  Her role as a Trustee is to represent the young people and provide insights to help the Board develop their offer.  And, in return, Kiera learns from the vast wealth of business experience the other members of the board have to offer. “It was a steep learning curve, going from volunteering on the boats to understanding the Charity at that whole new level, but again, I love how each experience adds to the next,” commented Kiera.

VE Day 75

Kiera enjoys the VE Day 75 celebrations with her family

Kiera was furloughed from her job during lockdown and went home to Bournemouth where her parents live. Friends at Hartley’s Events were planning ‘bake your own’ cream tea kits to help the elderly and isolated celebrate VE Day 75, and Kiera decided to help out.  “On VE Day, I was up bright and early to deliver more boxes. When I was finished, I came back home for a socially-distant day of festivities, including music from the 1940s, homemade pizza, the 3pm toast and lots of yummy scones,” said Kiera.

Becoming a Royal Naval Reserve might be the perfect solution for your lifestyle. For students, there are 15 URNUs across the UK, but you can also join the RNR from the age of 16. No formal qualifications are required, and you can fit it around your other commitments. For more information, read here.