Name: Mandi Leonard
Job title: Welfare director
Company: GroceryAid
What was your first job? My first job was working in my dad’s stationery business, which was a wholesale company but also had a retail shop. I worked in the shop on a Saturday from when I was 15.
Then my first full-time job was with Barclays Bank, back in the day of branches on every high street. Both gave me a great understanding of working with the public.
What’s been your worst job interview? I think I have been lucky as I haven’t had a bad interview! I quite enjoy interviews and always found being honest, open and showing a real interest in the role made for a positive experience.
“It can literally be a lifeline that keeps someone from going under, and it’s a very powerful reason to do what I have the privilege to do”
What was the first music single you bought? Carly Simon, Nobody Does It Better – does that age me?!
How do you describe your job to your friends? GroceryAid offers financial, emotional, and practical support to people working across the grocery industry. My job is to make sure the help we provide meets colleagues’ needs and feels genuinely supportive.
Whether someone comes to us for a financial grant, managed by my welfare team, or for emotional or practical help from one of our service partners, I focus on ensuring the experience is empathetic and non‑judgemental, to ensure that the colleague is in a better place than when they first came to us.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? Anyone who has ever heard me speak will know my answer to this question; every single day a member of my team changes someone’s life for the better. We see this from the ‘thank yous’ that we receive when we offer a financial grant. It can literally be a lifeline that keeps someone from going under, and it’s a very powerful reason to do what I have the privilege to do.
What is the least rewarding part? As a charity, we have eligibility criteria for financial grants and there are obviously times when we cannot help and that can be difficult. We never send anyone away with no help, however, and will always offer signposting to another organisation or service that may be better suited to supporting their challenge.
What is your motto in life? A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. A reminder that life’s short, and we should do our bit to make the world a good place for future generations.
If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? A paid sabbatical to travel – there are so many places I want to visit on my ‘one day’ list!
Do you have any phobias? Rats – can’t bear the thought of them. I’d never be able to go into I’m A Celebrity!
If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? That GroceryAid had even wider awareness across the whole industry – from the largest fmcg manufacturer or supermarket to SMEs and independent retailers – so that everyone who needs help knows we are there to give relief in tough times.
What luxury would you have on a desert island? An air-conditioned tent – I can’t sleep when it’s hot and my hair is not good in humidity!
What animal most reflects your personality? A dog – I believe I’m warm, friendly, supportive, and always show up for people.
What’s your favourite film and why? Terms of Endearment – the story of a family who may not always see eye to eye, but when life gets hard, all that truly matters is standing together.
What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? Walking out of a DIY shop with my then four-year-old son who, just as we walked past the security guard, said in a very clear voice: “Mummy, did we steal anything from there today?” as though we were serial shoplifters!
I felt the need to stand in front of the security guard and tell my son why we have never stolen anything and why it would be very bad to do so!
Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? Matt Willis. I had the pleasure of meeting him briefly at a recent GroceryAid event and he was a genuinely sincere, nice guy, and I would love to discuss his in-depth understanding of addiction and mental health challenges with him further. I love his ‘On the Mend’ podcasts as well.
What would your death row meal be? Prawns or scallops to start, sea bass for my main and I would finish with something like a raspberry and white chocolate cheesecake, all washed down with a glass or two of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc – very decadent, but as my last meal I’d go out on a high!
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