As an officer in the British Army, Keir Macintosh led from the front. He was deployed on peacekeeping missions in Bosnia, Kosovo and Cyprus as well as serving in Northern Ireland, and when he left the military he returned to banking before moving on to recruitment. He now works as Asda’s Senior Director of Talent Acquisition and Talent Management, and continues to lead from the front. “It’s a real challenge, leaving the military,” he says. “There’s never a straight line into another job. It’s a learning experience, and you have to accept that. But there’s a huge wealth of opportunities here at Asda, and we’re an incredibly inclusive and diverse organisation. Anyone with military transferrable skills can find a place in our business. As long as they’re ready for the challenges, we can offer them a great career. And at the moment we’re enjoying an exciting period of growth and change, so now’s the time to join us and be part of our amazing story.” 

Before joining the Army, Sash Hill worked as a milkman, in a hotel and in his dad’s pub. “I’ve always enjoyed working,” he says, “and I’ve always wanted to give more. So one day I walked into the Army careers office in Blackpool and signed up.” He served in Afghanistan, and when he got back after his last tour, made the decision to leave. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, and ended up doing a course with a company that specialise in covert surveillance. “At the same time, my wife – who works at Asda – told me about their Armed Forces Covenant. Basically, if you meet the minimum criteria you are invited to an interview or assessment centre. So I went for it and really enjoyed it, and joined the company in the summer of 2015. I haven’t look back.” He’s currently a General Store Manager, but has ambitions to go further. “There are so many opportunities at Asda, and you can make a real difference here.” 

Helen Selby left school at 16 and wasn’t sure what direction to take, but by the time she was 20 knew she wanted to go to university. “I’d been on a youth training scheme and attended night school, and Aston offered me a place to study for a business degree. While I was there I met the Birmingham Air Squadron, so I applied and was accepted. I had a brilliant time with them, and when I graduated I joined the RAF and spent my time as an administration officer.” However, she’d always wanted to study law, so she left the service, went to law school and immediately knew she’d found her calling. She’s now our General Counsel and heads a team of over a hundred legal specialists. “The UK military is the best trained service in the world,” she says, “and provides you with some amazing skills, the sort of skills a company like Asda needs. Business is no different from the RAF. We just wear a different uniform.”