Craig Agutter, Head of Ecommerce EMEA, leads World First’s London based Ecommerce team. The tight-knit team of ten bring together more than 40 years of World First ecommerce experience and spend their time working with Europe’s online seller community to make the most of their international currency transfers and payments and help them thrive in the competitive global marketplace.
Get to know our friendly and knowledgeable ecommerce experts:
What does a typical day look like for you?
Craig A: Well, first thing is there is no ‘typical’ day. Rather like the swings of exchange rates that we help clients navigate, nearly anything can happen. I get in the office for 7.45am each morning, catch up on the latest news, trends and industry developments affecting online sellers over a bowl of cereal and a coffee, hold a brief morning meeting with my team and then it’s on to the day’s challenges. Ultimately, what I end up devoting my time to hinges on one question: will this make our customers’ lives better? When you’re working from the best possible customer experience backwards and validate it with data or research, in my opinion you can’t really go wrong.
Jon: Talking to new and potential clients about their current set up and how we can help their business to grow and save on currency and payments costs. I used to be on the Corporate Desk here, working mainly with currency hedging products, so it’s nice to be able to pass on knowledge about how clients could protect their bottom line.
Craig F: My day starts around about half past 7; the first thing I will do when I sit down at my desk is check for any overnight movements in the major currency pairs, look for any particular events which could drive movement throughout the day and respond to client emails. As the day progresses I am generally at the beckoning call of my clients. This can range from booking deals to assisting them in expanding onto new marketplaces.
John: My day is about communication. It generally starts with research, email and news. The currency markets, ecommerce and international business seem to dominate so much of the media these days that I find it vital to be current and to identify relevant news for my clients and colleagues. We look to be proactive account managers and play our part in the projects that we hope will improve World First’s services.
What’s your favourite thing about working on the Ecommerce Desk?
Tina: Since joining World First in 2013, I have especially enjoyed developing long-term relationships with clients – assisting them when they’re just starting out and then hearing about how their businesses have progressed, sharing and exchanging knowledge along the way. Their stories make working here really great.
Sam: The huge variety of business owners that I get to speak with day to day. Because of the vast range of ecommerce companies, I’m able to learn about and explore a different market almost every time I speak to somebody.
Huguette: My team! They are such an amazing bunch they really make work enjoyable and I learn new things from them every day.
What’s the most interesting thing you’ve discovered about the world of online selling?
Chris: There are new ideas popping up all of the time. Some people deal in arbitrage, buying in one location (country or marketplace) and selling in another location that generates a higher price. I’ve seen someone buy off one client and sell to another customer while fulfilling the delivery by supplying his customer’s address for his own original purchase. That could not happen offline.
Sam: The importance of SEO, Google can be a blessing and a curse!
Craig F: We deal with a large number of clients and the most rewarding/interesting part of the job is watching as a client’s business grows. I have seen a good number of clients expand from sole traders to fully functioning business with a large number of staff.
Tina: The most interesting thing to me is how ecommerce changes people’s daily lives, for both buyers and sellers. Buying online has greatly improved customers’ convenience and allowed individual sellers to sell their products without owning a physical store. From the safest car – a Badonkadonk Land Cruiser, to exploring your cat’s potential of becoming a DJ – cat turntables, online selling never fails to surprise us and bring more fun to our lives!
Craig A: Through my daily interactions with our online sellers and the exposure I have to decision makers across the wider ecommerce industry, I have witnessed trends that were mere pipedreams years ago now coming to fruition. These include the development of final mile fulfilment, the rise of private label sellers, the shift to mobile and omnichannel commerce, and even the apparent insurgence of O2O (online-to-offline) shopping experiences. The only certainty is however global consumers and sellers are interacting today, those habits will look very different five years from now…
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Huguette: Run my online business – it’s my favourite hobby and one that consumes most of my spare time. Aside from that, I love going to the gym to try and work off my other favourite thing to do which is eating out at cool, quirky restaurants. I also love a good movie or TV/Netflix series!
John: I’m keen on the outdoors, sports and activities. I’m not nearly as good as I’d like to be at the skilled sports like cricket, so I end up taking on endurance events like triathlons, which can be a challenge.
Theo: I’m a bit old fashioned in the sense that I actually have a hobby. I’ve been (slowly) restoring an old BMW M3 for the past few years which takes up plenty of my time, patience and money. It’s extremely satisfying to see an old rusty wreck gradually come back to life.
Throughout 2017, the World First Ecommerce team will be travelling around the UK alongside some key partners, meeting online sellers and sharing tips to help expand businesses across borders.
Come out and meet Theo and Sam at our inaugural Online Seller Cellar on March 28th at The Living Room in Manchester. Reserve your space here.