Multi-tasking role for Mary in retail property development

Mary Toner works for the company behind the 320m Victoria Square retail and entertainment complex due to open in Belfast in March. Apart from being responsible for marketing the development, she is also currently organising a jobs fair for its tenants and making plans for the launch event. Nigel Tilson reports.

Mary Toner: 'The jobs fair (in Belfast's Waterfront Hall on November 24 and 25) is an opportunity for those seeking jobs in the retail, cinema or catering offer at Victoria Square to apply for full-time and part-time and managerial positions in shops like House of Fraser, Urban Outfitters, Cruise and Billabong to name a few.'

The post: UK marketing manager, Multi Development UK

The postholder: Mary Toner

What does your job entail?

I am responsible for the delivery of Multi Development's UK marketing communications plan at both corporate and project level.

Multi is one of Europe's leading retail property developers and has designed and delivered over 120 retail-led schemes across 20 European countries in its 25-year history.

We have established a UK and Ireland headquarters in Belfast and we have three UK developments under way - Victoria Square in Belfast, Summer Row in Wolverhampton and SouthGate in Bath.

I am also responsible for overseeing the marketing communications plans for each of these three schemes.

How did you get into this line of work?

By chance. Before joining Multi I worked as an account handler in an advertising agency. A former colleague had seen the job advertisement for an in-house marketing manager and encouraged me to apply. I did and haven't looked back.

Outline your career to date.

After graduating I landed my first job in an advertising agency as media planner/buyer.

I worked for AndersonSprattGroup for two and a half years, building up experience initially in media planning and buying and subsequently account management.

I gained valuable experience there as well as an insight into many different industry sectors.

My next move was to a pure account management role in Navigator Blue, another advertising agency.

I loved agency life - you quickly adapt and begin to thrive on the fast pace of work there - and the perks were also good.

I think working in agencies is a great way to gain insight into the public and private sectors as well as to quickly build marketing communication, management and financial skills.

I joined Multi in 2005.

Tell us about your qualifications/training.

I hold a BA (Hons) in politics and English from Queen's University Belfast and a MSc in communication, advertising and public relations from the University of Ulster.

I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. After graduating from Queen's, I spent a gap year working in New York City. Living and working in New York was brilliant - I love the culture and pace of life there.

Did you always want to work in your chosen sector?

Not specifically. I felt that my undergraduate degree in politics and English wasn't driving me in any particular vocational direction so decided to take the year out, and that's when I finally settled on the communications industry as a career.

Having worked for several years in advertising agencies, I was looking for the opportunity to use the skills I'd developed working in-house for someone.

Having worked in the retail property sector now for nearly three years, I can't see myself working in any other sector.

What qualities are required for your position - personal and professional?

You definitely need an outgoing personality and excellent communication skills to work in marketing.

More specifically, I think that there are certain qualities needed for working in the retail property sector. You need to be ambitious, results-orientated, innovative, possess integrity and have the ability to work well under pressure.

A marketing qualification is essential, too.

What do you do day to day?

As we have three schemes under way in the UK, my week often involves travel to Bath and Wolverhampton.

If I am travelling to either city, my day involves early starts and back-to-back meetings with a combination of local authorities, local business groups, design agencies, contractors and the media.

We also host project-related events in Wolverhampton and Bath. Holding meetings with the necessary organisations feature in my day.

I'm in Belfast for most days during the week and my routine is similar here.

Thirty people work for Multi UK, and the team is continually growing. We hold various update meetings on each of our three projects where the key members of the project team (development managers, leasing team, technical team, architects, marketing team and so on) meet to discuss the day to day running of each project.

As Victoria Square is our flagship UK and Ireland scheme, a lot of my time right now is dedicated to the planning of our launch event next March.

We are also working quite intensely with the Department for Employment and Learning and the Department of Social Development finalising plans for a jobs fair on November 24 and 25 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

The jobs fair is an opportunity for those seeking jobs in the retail, cinema or catering offer at Victoria Square to apply for full-time and part-time and managerial positions in shops like House of Fraser, Urban Outfitters, Cruise and Billabong to name a few. As our company headquarters is in Gouda in the Netherlands, I liaise quite closely with members of our in-house communications department there as they design a lot of our corporate branding.

The commercial and marketing team also attend retail property exhibitions on a national and European scale.

Quite a lot of intensive planning goes into these events as Multi often sponsors them.

We design our exhibition stands in-house and host client events during these fairs, which means planning at least five months ahead.

Detail any recent projects that are reflective of your job and your industry.

Throughout the development programme on each of our three schemes we host many different project-related events that mark key milestones in the development of each project.

It falls to marketing to organise these in close co-operation with the site contractors and the local authorities.

In June we celebrated the topping out of Victoria Square, which involved commissioning a poem by Michael Longley, which was inscribed in one of the glass panels in the Dome.

In October, we celebrated the SouthGate ground breaking in Bath.

Next March we'll be launching Victoria Square and in summer 2008 we'll mark starting construction on the Summer Row development in Wolverhampton with an event on-site.

We exhibit throughout the year at all the major property exhibitions that take place throughout Europe and often win awards from the industry bodies that organise the events, celebrating the design and regeneration successes of Multi's projects.

What makes working in your industry interesting and challenging?

Working for a European company means that I work with many creative and talented people, which is very rewarding and inspiring.

The fact that we are active in Belfast, Bath and Wolverhampton means every project is different, from the concept design of each scheme to the tenant mix strategy to the communities that we work with.

These differences present their own unique challenges, as no two cities are the same.

What career progression opportunities are available?

I joined Multi in 2005 and head up the UK marketing department.

From working on my own for two and a half years, I have recently appointed an assistant marketing manager, so the team is expanding.

Hopefully we will soon announce another UK or Irish project that we will develop - so there are plenty of opportunities to keep me busy for the foreseeable future.

What kind of personality do you need to operate within your chosen industry?

An outgoing personality is a prerequisite. You also have to be confident and possess good negotiation skills as you deal with so many different people from so many different industry backgrounds and managerial levels.

Having a creative flair is a plus as design is a fundamental part of what Multi does.

Finally, a proactive style and possessing a firm resolve also helps. I never take no for an answer.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I come from a family of eight, so spending time with my family and friends takes up most of my spare time.

In my quieter moments, I love getting lost in a good book.

I love eating out with my husband and at the other end of the scale I enjoy a good night out with friends.

Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

I'm having my first baby next April.

Who has inspired you most in your life?

My parents.

And, professionally, I work with so many creative individuals in Multi that I couldn't single one out.