Towards the end of a successful career in home furnishings, Lynne Flatman could not have anticipated the job change that her career consultant came up with. Flatman was managing director of textile company Chortex and looking for a fresh company. Matthews Harris director Jacqui Matthews persuaded Flatman to apply for the post of marketing director at Boutinot, a wine distributor near Manchester. "Almost all my life, I'd worked in home furnishings. I knew little about wine, but I did like the sound of a young, fast growing entrepreneurial company that could offer me a new challenge," says Flatman. What Flatman might have lacked in industry knowledge, she more than made up for with marketing skills. Matthews says: "What really matters is the transferable skills of the individual. "This body of experience is portable and is far more important to their likely success than the context of the candidate's experience." While Flatman was, naturally, apprehensive about such shift in career direction, she felt confident that the role itself would be within her capabilities. And meeting the staff at Boutinot finally helped her to make up her mind "Once I met the Boutinot people, I felt they were on the same wavelength and the informal, close-knit culture appealed. "I liked the idea of the very flat management structure where I'd have to roll up my sleeves and get stuck in." The company is expanding rapidly and has a presence in the US, Germany and South Africa. Flatman enjoys being part of that growth, which has seen the launch of three new brands in the past six months. She has no regrets about making the move. "I thought long and hard about it and the guidance I received was vital. "Anyone contemplating a similar move must get good advice and consider all the implications." "You need to know exactly what you enjoy and what you prefer to avoid. You don't have to remain in your first choice of career and stick with that for life. Don't be afraid to consider major changes ­ be open minded." {{PEOPLE MOVES }}