JACKIE DAY: Managing director Redrow Homes (Southern) Ltd, Boundary Road, Loudwater

Born: 7.4.1958 London

Education: Southgate Comprehensive

Lives: High Wycombe, divorced, two daughters

"I wanted to go into sales and marketing but didn't. I left school and was getting nagged by my parents to get work so I got a clerical job at the General Medical Council.

I worked for around a couple of companies, including a general insurance company, before going to work for Falmer Jeans in the promotions department.

It was good fun - it got me out of the office, it was a young company and in the fashion industry. Certainly more interesting than insurance.

It suited me but I can't say I learned anything in particular.

I left there when I was 21 to have my first child having got married at 19.

I stayed at home for four years during which I had another child and then went back to work.

A friend of mine worked for an estate agent which had been selling new homes for a company called Rialto and I joined the agency on a part-time basis for two to three days a week. We needed the money.

I was subsequently offered a full-time position which I took - then Rialto approached me directly and asked me to work for them, initially to sell their homes on site.

I loved it. I was selling new homes and I enjoyed the buzz of selling. Again it involved meeting new people and every day was different.

I was good at it. I think if you find something you are good at and get results it makes the job all the more enjoyable.

Rialto promoted me to sales coordinator which was an office-based position and from that I went on to become area sales manager. I stayed at Rialto for seven years in all.

It was a tough and tightly controlled company. I learned a lot particularly about management in general.

I had to learn about budgets and forecasting which was interesting and also about the general management of staff. I was responsible for the staff on site.

At about this time I got divorced when my children were six and four which necessitated taking on a child minder. My parents have always been a tremendous support to me and took over in the school holidays.

I joined Redrow in 1993 as a sales manager based at Costain's offices in Marlow. Redrow had acquired the housing division of Costain the same year and were advertising for staff.

I found it a breath of fresh air - Redrow is a firm company but very fair and gave me the chance and support to progress my career. My managing director was Greg Locke, now southern regional chairman, and I couldn't have wished for a better MD.

I was promoted to sales director at the beginning of 1995 which was a big move for me. I remember Greg telling me that there is a vast difference between a sales manager and a sales director and there was. I had previously concentrated on my department but as a director you have a commitment to the whole business. I really started taking an interest and more of an active role in the whole of the business. My day-to-day duties didn't change - I just became more aware of general matters.

I had three area managers working for me - two men and a woman who all went on to become sales managers and directors in their own right. I am proud of that.

Whilst on site visits with Greg he threw me by asking how long it would take to find someone else to do my job.

He said the company wanted to put me on a managing director's training course. I was really bowled over. I always knew when I was a sales manager I would make it to sales director . That was my goal but to become a managing director is such a giant step from that. It was a major achievement.

I started interviewing for somebody to take over my job who is still with the company - and spent a month with him handing over.

The training programme was supposed to last for 18 months to spend time learning all the disciplines within the company but it only lasted seven before I was asked in 1997 to go as acting MD to look after our Midlands region.

I think that was probably the best bit of training I could have had. It was bang - in at the deep end.

That was a huge learning curve for me having to look after and run the business. There were areas of the business I had not been involved with before so I had to learn very quickly.

It was difficult at first beause the technical side was very new to me, having to make decisions which could have cost the company a lot of money. It was quite challenging .But, of course, I did have a lot of support.

I was there for about ten months when it was decided to split the south-east into two regions - Southern and the South East and was asked to come back down here as MD of the southern region.

I am proud to be Redrow's first female MD and I am very grateful to them for giving me the opportunity.

I have worked hard but I have been lucky.

I had no idea when I left school I would end up as a managing director. I still sometimes think it is a bit of a dream but I do love the job."