A day in the life of…Donovan Lottering, Warehouse Manager at Leamington Spa

Warehouse manager Donovan Lottering loves the variety of his role and working with his team to ensure the smooth running of operations. We chatted to Donovan about what this looks like, why he got into logistics and how his career at Fullers Fulfilment progressed.

Q What does a warehouse manager do?

A Being a warehouse manager covers a massive scope of activities from staffing and resource management, and health and safety, to dealing with inbound deliveries, despatch, inventory and more. Essentially, I am responsible for the smooth running of processes within the warehouse to make sure our customers are happy.

People management, leading, training and motivating, is a big part of this and it’s the part I love the most since becoming a manager; getting to know the team, understanding our differences and ensuring we all work together in the best possible way, improving our productivity and efficiency.

Q How long have you worked with Fullers?

A I’ve been with Fullers for about three years. I began as a warehouse operative agency worker for a few months before coming on board permanently. I loved the energy of the role, the business and the people. After a while I moved into picking and packing, which I also enjoyed. Then I became a forklift driver for six months, with Fullers paying for my training. From there I moved into a team leader role which was my intro into management, managing people and working with customers which I really enjoyed. After about 18 months in that role, I was promoted to warehouse manager.

Q How did you get into fulfilment?

A I moved to the UK from South Africa, where I was an electrical draughtsman. My dad is in the logistics industry and he’s had a varied career, with a lot of travel and interesting stories, so, I’ve always had an interest in it. My dad thought a career in fulfilment would suit me well and so when I got to the UK I began looking for roles.

Q What do you enjoy most about working in the industry?

A I love the variety and the fact that each day presents a new scenario and there are different challenges to overcome. Some days go smoothly and some where we are really up against it! I enjoy it all.

Q What’s the best part of your job?

A The best part is when I stand in the warehouse and see the team smiling and happy, and I know I’ve been able to help them with what they’ve needed whether that’s help with an order or advice about something. I like pulling up my sleeves and getting stuck in.

Q What three characteristics are vital for your role

A First, you need to be transparent and understand things from both the staffing and business point of view because you’re essentially a middleman. Second, you need to be resilient, because you’re dealing with so many things. And that ties into the third one which is being level-headed. You have to keep your cool under pressure and be on the ball.

Q What advice would you give to someone starting a career in fulfilment?

A Grab opportunities with both hands! Make the most of what’s on offer and always work hard.

Q What do you like doing outside of work?

A Anything to do with gym, running, sport or music!

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