23/06 2022 - Stores
One afternoon in 2016, René Dworog-Dahl’s phone rang. On the other end was his former boss with an offer he couldn’t refuse: She wanted to steer him away from the telecommunications industry and into the eyewear industry and offered him a new job as store manager at Louis Nielsen* in Faaborg. For René, that call became the ticket to a new career, which quickly took off.
*In 2005, the successful Danish optical chain, led by its founder of the same name, was acquired by Specsavers. As the brand was so well-known within Denmark, the stores kept operating under the name Louis Nielsen.
“I was tired of the telecommunications industry, which I found to be more about sales and less about service. Of course, one must run a business, but providing great service and cultivating good relations with customers is what really drives me,” says René, who found that he could do just that at Louis Nielsen.
“We provide a service that can have a huge impact on people’s quality of life, and that makes me really proud. Happy customers are returning customers,” says René.
Once he was hired, he immediately felt that he had entered a company with room for differences. A place where he could make his mark. Maybe even as a partner.
“I have been allowed to run the store as if it were my own. And already at my job interview, we talked about the prospect of becoming a partner one day. Louis Nielsen is a workplace where you immediately get responsibility and develop fast. There is a lot to try your hand at,” says René, who gets his drive from helping customers and colleagues.
“A team is never better than the weakest link. I’m driven by developing the team members so that we become a strong unit. I quickly got the opportunity to do that. Today I feel matured, not only as a leader but also as a person,” says René, who now, five years since his first day of work, has set his sights firmly on a future role as partner and owner of his own Louis Nielsen store.
Therefore, René has completed Louis Nielsen’s internal Partner in Development programme. A programme equipping promising employees for a future as Louis Nielsen partners. He hopes to get a set of store keys already in the first half of 2022. René looks forward to the new role with peace of mind because he feels well-equipped. This is not the least because Louis Nielsen offers a support office and a network that has your back. No matter what challenges you encounter as a partner and employee, René says.
“You can always reach out and ask for help. You feel safe because you’re never alone.”
Louis Nielsen is a large company, but that doesn’t mean you are far from your colleagues. On the contrary, says René. From day one, he has felt like a part of a company where community and cohesion are hallmarks.
“My experience is that there is a flat structure in the organisation and a very short way to the top. If you meet Mads (Nygaard, CEO of Louis Nielsen), he is always happy to talk. In my previous work life, I have experienced a great distance between the stores in the organisation. At Louis Nielsen, I feel like I am part of a big family. And a festive one at that! I can honestly say that the annual parties we have across the departments are some of the most fun parties I have been to.”
Want to discover all about working at Specsavers or Louis Nielsen? Read more about the opportunities we offer or check if we have an open vacancy that suits you.
