On the line with Kerry Collier

This month, we speak to Kerry Collier - our production administrator at Gilberdyke. A well loved member of the Victory family, Kerry provides much-needed support to our production team and wider business. Let's find out more about her… 

What brought you to Victory?

I started my career in the caravan industry as a purchasing junior which covered quality assurance, logistics and finance. After having my son, Charlie, I ventured into the medical sector working for private hospitals for several years, until my husband mentioned that a job was going at Victory. I sent my CV in and the rest is history! 

What do you love about working at Victory?

Within the first week of me being here it felt like I had been here for a long time, but in a good way. The family aspect of Victory is lovely, especially in my case. My husband and son work here, and we have a happy commute to work every morning. There's a real sense of community working here and I love working at the heart of the production line - I am always around if someone ever needs a chat. 

What do you love most about working for Victory?

Where do I start? Firstly, it’s the people – everyone is really friendly, yet also highly ambitious and very talented, which makes for a great environment to work in. There’s also the benefit of having a 4-day working week, which helps me balance my work and social life. Finally, the growing nature of the business means I can get involved in projects I wouldn't normally get an insight into, and our ambitious growth plans really excite me.

What does a typical day at Victory look like for you?

No working day is the same. New challenges crop up, but I like that. It can range from dealing with a admin query to a mental health check-in. I take every day as it comes and just crack on and regularly eat my lunch in the canteen so I can catch up with the team. Just a chat can really make all the difference to someone’s day.

Which is your favourite Victory home? And why?

It would have to be the Lakewood - when I joined it was just a drawing on paper. I got to see exactly how it was developed and built, I found walking down the line fascinating to see how raw materials create such a great product. I would love a Lakewood on a lovely plot of land next to a lake, sat on the decking with a glass of fizz in my hand! 

How do you see the future of Victory?

Seeing how much Victory has grown in the year and a half I have been here, I can't see the growth stopping. Production will continue to soar, creating more luxury homes for our customers. Personally, I believe Victory is where I belong and I want to continue to give it my all and make an influence on Victory’s success. 

What do you get up to in your spare time?

A four day working week means that I can get all my housework done - Fridays are my reset, chill out day. I like spending my weekends with family and travelling to the coast on a train to Scarbados! I’m also a keen runner, which I like to do to keep fit but also to clear my head and recharge my mental batteries.

If you were to share a dinner table with 3 celebrities, who would they be?

Gino D’Campo - he's a great cook, so he'd be an ideal person to share dinner with but also he is hilarious and would bring a lot of laughter to the table. I’d also pick James Corden because his Carpool Karaoke’s are brilliant and, again, he'd be such a laugh. Last but not least I’d have Sheridan Smith - she seems like a down to earth, smart woman and I think I would have really interesting conversations with her. 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

It'd have to be Australia - I've never been but I've always wanted to. When I was five years old my parents had applied for residency in Australia, and we were all set to go. But my grandma was so upset with us leaving we just couldn’t do it. Since then, Australia has always been a place I’ve wanted to visit. I will have to put the creepy crawlies to the back of my mind!

What is on your bucket list?

It’s a bit of a wild one but I'd love to own a zoo. I’ve recently been watching a documentary about elephants and they're just beautiful, majestic creatures. I’d also want monkeys roaming around my zoo too - that to me just sounds ace.