- Georgia Soden, 21, started at AO.com when she was 15 on a beauty apprenticeship
- Two years later, she moved across to a sales role in the retailer’s B2B division
- Thanks to her ambition and the supportive culture at AO, she hit a huge sales target last month
From beauty apprentice during her GCSE year to sales executive at AO Business, Georgia Soden, from Adlington, has had quite the journey at online electricals retailer AO.com.
Georgia, now 21, started an apprenticeship in beauty therapy at AO’s onsite spa when she was only 15. Thanks to her ambition and the support of her colleagues, she now works for the retailer’s B2B division as a Client Executive – hitting a huge £250k worth of sales, her best ever month, in October.
In June 2016, Georgia interviewed for the apprenticeship while she was still at school and clearly impressed at the retailer, completing her Level 2 and 3 NVQ in beauty therapy to become fully qualified while working on site four days a week.
In between massages and nails, she spoke to everyone across the business about their role and really got to know the different departments. Keen to get her foot in the door, Georgia secured a role as an Admin Assistant on the AO Business team which was newly established in 2019. At the start of the pandemic, she started her first sales role as a Business Executive making outbound calls.
Now promoted to a Client Executive, she now manages her own clients including property managers and kitchen retailers, regularly hitting six figure personal targets every month.
Georgia said: “I’m really proud of my progression at AO – my determination has really paid off over the last five years! For anyone else looking to really grow in their company, I’d advise them to be confident and keep asking questions. I have had so many wonderful mentors over the last few years who made the transition to sales so enjoyable.”
Anthony Sant, MD of AO Business, said: “At AO, we really value employees who want to develop and grow, and Georgia’s potential was evident from the beginning. She’s a fantastic example of tenacity and willingness to learn paying off. At only 21, she’s a huge asset to the AO Business team, and I can’t wait to see where her sales career takes her.”
With next day delivery and installation, renowned customer service and over 20 years’ experience of selling electricals to the public, AO Business offers a unique proposition for business clients – take a look at current vacancies at https://www.ao-jobs.com/.