Career Talk - Francis Okon

Name: Francis Okon

My Old Position at Swarovski: Cash Manager, Swarovski Kristallwelten, Wattens?

My New Position at Swarovski: Cash Manager with MoD (Manager on Duty role), Swarovski Kristallwelten, Wattens

Number of years at Swarovski: 16

Country of residence: Austria

What did you do in your old position at Swarovski?

I joined Swarovski 16 years ago as a Cashier and over the years I have taken on different responsibilities. I have been involved in countless projects, including leading some of them and participating in employee brand promotions. In 2019, I won the Swarovski Spirit Award in the Responsible category.?

As a Cash Manager, I lead a team of around 28 colleagues, providing disciplinary, functional, developmental, and inspirational leadership to my team, while also collaborating with other teams to achieve our common goal. Training new colleagues is a part of my job that I really enjoy; it is enriching as it gives me the opportunity to interact with future leaders while mentoring and motivating them.?

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to learn directly and indirectly from great leaders in the company who have always believed in, and been passionate about, our people and our brand. I believe in the "we" which is being team-oriented, knowing that we can only succeed when we work together. One of my favorite sayings is from our founder, Daniel Swarovski:?

“It is necessary for you to be good friends with each other, to help each other, to support each other, and not to work against each other"

What are you doing in your current position at Swarovski?

My current role is an extension of my role as Cash Manager; it requires attention to detail, making timely, relevant decisions, and putting a face to the company during the business day. My duties involve assessing our service standards on a daily basis and making improvements when and where necessary. I am one of the few colleagues privileged to have this additional responsibility.?

This role allows me to see the bigger picture when making decisions, and it also gives me a greater appreciation for the good work of all our colleagues. We really are a great team. It can be overwhelming at times, but the exchanges with our customers sometimes end with handshakes, hugs, and many goosebumps - that's very rewarding. I draw strength from our colleagues, and for that I say, 'thank you'.

How did this career move within Swarovski happen?

Constant communication with my direct reports, giving them feedback, and the need for constant change and improvement in the way we serve our customers led to this new role. We work a seven-day week at the Crystal Worlds in Wattens, except for the month of November when we are normally closed for a few days for inventory and renovations. This role came about as a means of making Swarovski accessible whatever our customers’ needs – seeing our business through their eyes, taking feedback, and implementing changes based on that.?

What does career mean to you?

Career to me means a continuous marathon of growth. It requires having certain tools and developing others for this marathon. There will be ups and downs, triumphs and setbacks, different paths to take or be taken and lessons learnt. These tools – the willingness to learn and continue learning, being agile, staying curious, and showing empathy, resilience and consistency will guide you. The most important thing is to know that with each new day comes new opportunities; these should be approached with the lessons learned from the past – and a smile.

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