In this series, British Baker talks to people from across the baking industry to find out about their career path, what their job involves, and the latest trends that are shaping their work.
We’re looking to showcase a diverse range of talent and job types across the industry, so if you’d like to be involved, please email dan.riley@wrbm.com.
Name: Jennifer MacPherson
Age: 44
Job title: Learning & Development Manager
Company and location: Birds Bakery, Derby
Education: A Levels, Associate Member – CIPD (Learning & Development), HABC Level 3 Award in Education & Training, Facet5 Practitioner
Tell us about your career to date:
I started my career in hospitality at 16 as a glass collector in a restaurant in Devon. Through hard work and determination, I progressed into management by the age of 20 and became a general manager at 22. While I enjoyed working with customers, the most rewarding part of my role was developing and supporting my team. This passion led me to study for my CIPD qualification while continuing to manage restaurants.
I was fortunate to be working for a growing organisation at the time and was given the opportunity to step into a customer service trainer position. I then progressed through roles including learning advisor and business partner as well as becoming a self-employed learning & development specialist. These have seen me help develop skills in teams across hotels, restaurants, bars, motorway services, and the charity sector.
How would you describe your job, and what kind of tasks and responsibilities does it involve?
Since I started with Birds, my main focus has been on building the foundations that enable people to succeed in their roles and grow their careers. This has included creating learning resources, defining role expectations, and developing career pathways for progression.
I am reviewing and improving skills and behavioural matrices with our heads of departments to ensure employees have the capabilities needed for both current responsibilities and future business goals. I coach and support managers to develop their teams, improve performance, and create a culture of continuous learning.
We have also introduced reward and recognition initiatives, such as Employee of the Month and Long Service Awards, and implemented an Employee Assistance Programme to provide wellbeing and personal support.
Tell us about a challenge you have overcome recently:
One change I helped implement recently was moving the operations manual from paper to a digital format. This supported the organisations’ goal of reducing paper while making information easier to access and update. Employees can now quickly find the information they need, without relying on printed documents.
The main challenge was ensuring the digital manual worked for employees from different generations, with varying levels of confidence using technology. To support the change, I kept the system simple with the resources available, and provided guidance where needed using different tools like ‘how to’ videos. I encouraged feedback throughout the process too.
What have been some highlights of your career?
Leading the implementation of a new learning management system for over 1,000 employees. I managed the project from start to finish, helping to improve access to learning, simplify training processes, and create a better learning experience for employees across the organisation.
Another key achievement was designing, organising, and delivering training events focused on customer service and leadership skills within the hospitality industry. I led learning events for more than 100 people, covering topics such as coaching, communication, performance management, and guiding change.
What is a common misconception about your role?
People tend to think that learning and development teams just organise and deliver training courses for employees to do their job. In reality, the role focuses on developing people, building future talent, supporting career progression, and ensures the organisation has the skills and capability it needs to succeed both now and in the future.
What advice would you give to businesses looking to expand their bakery retail footprint?
My advice would be to invest in your people as much as your expansion plans. As your bakery retail footprint grows, having consistent training, strong onboarding, and capable leaders becomes essential.
I’d focus on developing future managers, creating clear career pathways, and building a talent pipeline that can support new openings. This helps maintain standards, customer experience, and culture as the business grows.
Interested in a career in bakery? Check out Foodmanjobs for the latest vacancies
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