This document is a curriculum vitae for Peter Gardner. It summarizes his career history working in retail management roles over nearly 40 years, most recently as General Manager of Gretna Gateway Outlet Village since 1999. It outlines his responsibilities, achievements, and skills in leading teams and maximizing business performance across various retail companies.

1. CURRICULUM VITAE OF PETER GARDNER
TORMAUKIN, MADDISTON ROAD, RUMFORD, FALKIRK, FK2 0SB
077799 267612 ▪ tormaukin@blueyonder.co.uk
PERSONAL
PROFILE
 Having “been round the block a few times” I have a wide range of retail, management,
people, and life skills and experiences, which enable me to cope with and maximise most
day-to-day working situations and challenges.
 I am results driven, and motivated by challenges, success, and recognition.
 I have my father’s “old-fashioned” work ethic – “If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing
properly!” I take great pride in “a good job well done”. I have had no time off (ill) in over
17 years at Gretna Gateway. Some might call me a ‘workaholic’, but I can’t be, as I sleep 6
hours or more most nights!
 I am a “champion” of customer service and satisfaction, and happy to lead by example in
this key area.
 My wife and daughters say I am “borderline OCD”! – but I see that as attention to detail and
high presentation standards, and a positive rather than negative trait!
 I can lead and develop a team, and also be an integral part of one (3 of us at Gretna have
49 years combined service and the other 2 were in the running to replace me!). I can be
depended on to get things done, within predetermined guidelines or on my own initiative.
 I can relate to and work with a wide range of people and job roles, from cleaners to CEOs,
contractors to consultants, shopfloor staff to senior directors.
 I am a family man, with a good sense of humour, who enjoys (watching) sport, music (still
listen to Radio 1 !), socialising, eating out, holidays (and using my foreign language skills),
rhinos, standing stones, and being busy and productive!
WORDS WHICH COULD BE USED TO DESCRIBE ME INCLUDE:
 Professional, experienced, commercial, honest, hardworking, meticulous, pragmatic,
approachable, personable
CAREER
HISTORY
GENERAL MANAGER, GRETNA GATEWAY OUTLET VILLAGE
JUNE 1999 – PRESENT
REMIT  Identify and maximise opportunities to maintain and enhance GGOV’s position and
reputation as one of the country’s most successful outlet centres, and an exciting and
successful shopping and tourist destination, combining the customer experience with the
tenant and product mix to attract and retain visitors and tenants alike.
 Work with the on-site team, JLL, Orchard St., and others to formulate and implement
operational, marketing, and leasing strategies, aimed at safeguarding the investments and
maximising the returns of tenants and investors.
 Work closely with tenants and their H.O.s to enable them to identify and maximise their
own and GGOV’s full business potential, while still operating within all Village guidelines
and policies
 Set and monitor the service charge budget, working closely with suppliers, contractors, and
agencies to ensure we stay within budget, and deliver results which meet and surpass the
expectations of our tenants and customers.
 Oversee operational and facilities management aspects of GGOV, including security,
cleaning, H&S, maintenance, shopfits and refurbs, expansions, new car parks......
 Keep our team, tenants, service-providers, managing agents, landlord, and all stakeholders
as informed and involved as possible, to make it a genuine team effort, with shared and
mutually beneficial targets and objectives.
ACHIEVEMENTS  Running the Village “solo” for its first 3 months, including construction completion,
recruiting the management team, 20+ tenant openings, and the royal opening ceremony –
then being the driving force behind it ever since.

2.  Building, developing, and retaining a self-sufficient management team, whose roles have
grown with the Village.
 Achieving 5-Star Visit Scotland Tourist Shop accreditation in 2001 and retaining it every year
(to 2016) since!
 Personally overseeing the addition of Phase 2 in 2004, the South Car Park in 2008, Phase 3 in
2015, and the North Car Park in 2016 – all with minimal disruption to normal trade for
tenants and customers throughout.
 Being the “man in the middle” between tenants, contractors, landlord, planners and
buidling control on over 150 shopfits and refurbs since 1999.
 Establishing Gretna Gateway as a key player in the local and regional community and
economy, not only by attracting visitors and creating (now over 560) jobs, but by actively
participating in local life and activities.
 2016 will be Gretna Gateway’s 8th
consecutive best-ever year for visitor numbers, sales,
rental income, occupancy, and tenant line-up/product mix since the 2008 banking collapse.
 Putting my retail background to good use when working with the tenants, helping us and
them to achieve shared business goals, and contributing significantly to the leasing and
asset management of the twice-expanded scheme.
 Using the weekly “ShopTalk” newsletter (for many years) to keep all stakeholders as
informed about and involved with everything that is happening at GGOV, whether they have
been there recently or not.
INTERNAL CONSULTANT, BROOKES MENSWEAR & BERTIE BROOKES
SEPTEMBER 1998 – JUNE 1999
REMIT  Carry out a full internal operational “audit” covering all aspects of both businesses,
bringing a fresh pair of eyes and different range of experiences into a long-established
family concern.
 Submit recommendations and plans to the owner, aimed at improving overall performance
and profitability.
ACHIEVEMENTS  Introduced a staff training and incentive scheme, which improved staff morale, productivity
and retention.
 Used available (but previously unused) management information to drive significant
improvements in buying, pricing, promotional activity, and profitability within a bigger,
more robust, and successful combined business.
REGIONAL CONTROLLER, FOSTERS MENSWEAR
SEPTEMBER 1995 – AUGUST 1998
REMIT  Responsibility and accountability for people, sales, and contribution in a (struggling and
demotivated) region of up to 38 branches, with a turnover in the region of £20m.
 Close liaison with H.O. departments on the formulation and implementation of the
company’s strategic plans.
 Managing and driving change, with the transformation of the traditional Fosters culture,
environment, and values.
ACHIEVEMENTS  Used my positive, commercial, and ‘can-do’ attitude to redefine company culture and
improve staff morale and motivation - empowerment and accountability then drove
corresponding improvements in business performance.
 These changes paved the way for the introduction of the new trading formats of Fosters
Trading Company and Denim Exchange.
REGIONAL MANAGER, B.M.E. / JEANSTER (SCOTLAND)
MARCH 1994 - JULY 1995
REMIT  Was brought in to strengthen the company’s infrastructure prior to a planned phase of
expansion.
 Accountable for sales, profit, people, operations in 11 of 30 branches overall, with £14.5m
out of £30m turnover.

3. ACHIEVEMENTS  Headed up their first and highly successful venture into out-of-town outlet retailing with
Levi’s and Fruit of the Loom, as well as helping to develop their standalone franchise
dealings with Levi’s.
 Made subsequent improvements in the morale, development and retention of staff.
AREA / REGIONAL MANAGER, OLYMPUS SPORT
1989 – 1994
REMIT  Similar brief to above, accountable for up to 23 branches and turnover of £20m+, with
particular emphasis on:
o People, via recruitment, development, teambuilding, empowerment, accountability,
and succession-planning.
o Growing sales by continually improving caliber of staff, customer service, product
management, operational and presentation standards in every branch.
o Rolling out profit-centre management, with full P&L accountability, to the branch
network.
o Managing change, in the world of sports fashion, and with the acquisition and
integration of Astral Sports.
o Working closely with H.O. colleagues to formulate and formalise best practice in all
areas of the business.
ACHIEVEMENTS  Voted Branch Manager of the Year in 1988 (from over 200 stores) for taking Edinburgh to
no.3 in the company in only its second year of trade, and was subsequently promoted to
Area Manager the following year.
 Introduced succession planning to my region, and developed a number of people into
branch, superstore, and field management positions.
 Consistently delivered growth in top line sales and bottom line contribution, through a
sales-driven approach to customer service and product management, and best-in-company
audit results and wage-to-sales ratios.
 As retail representative on the company’s P&L and B&M syndicates, played a key role in
rolling out profit-centre management to the branches, and also had ground-breaking
successes in regionalising product mix.
DEPOT MANAGER, QH STANDARD (private tyre and exhaust centres)
DEPOT MANAGER, ATS SCOTLAND (private and commercial tyre and exhaust centres)
1981 – 1985
TECHNICAL SALES REP. (NORTH & WEST AFRICA), PLATT SACO LOWELL (textile machinery
manufacturer)
1978 – 1981
EDUCATION 2000 – 2001 ▪ B.C.S.C. DIPLOMA IN SHOPPING CENTRE MANAGEMENT
1973 – 1978 ▪ M.A. HONOURS FRENCH & GERMAN ▪ GLASGOW UNIVERSITY
1967 – 1973 ▪ AIRDRIE ACADEMY ▪ 3 x CSYS, 5 x S.C.E Higher, 8 x S.C.E. “O” Grade passes
TRAINING I have attended many and varied courses throughout my career, both in-house and external,
covering most aspects of retail and property management, people skills and development - and
have significantly added to this with a wealth of real-life experience and achievements along
the way!
PERSONAL WHEN I’M NOT WORKING I LIKE TO…
Spend quality time with my family ▪ watch sport ▪ listen to music (still Radio 1!) and I also like
reading, gardening, socialising, eating-out, holidays (and foreign languages), standing stones,
rhinos, keeping busy, being productive….
REFERENCES Available on request.