Explore Roisin Currie's people-centred leadership style that transformed Greggs into the UK's second strongest brand through inclusive management and social responsibility.
In the pantheon of modern British business leaders, few have demonstrated such a compelling blend of commercial acumen and social conscience as Roisin Currie, CEO of Greggs plc. Since taking the helm in May 2022, this Glasgow-born executive has not merely sustained the bakery chain's remarkable trajectory—she has elevated it to unprecedented heights whilst fundamentally redefining what progressive leadership looks like in contemporary British retail.
But what precisely defines Currie's leadership style? The answer lies in a sophisticated fusion of people-centred management, inclusive governance, and values-driven transformation that would have made even Wellington himself tip his hat in recognition. Her leadership style, which values both profitability and purpose, resonates with customers, investors, and employees alike, creating a business model that succeeds precisely because it refuses to treat profit and purpose as mutually exclusive propositions.
This exploration reveals how a leader with a rare example of a CEO from a HR background has harnessed the power of inclusive leadership to transform not just a business, but an entire industry's understanding of what modern executive excellence truly entails.
Unlike the typical trajectory of retail CEOs who ascend through operations or finance, Currie's leadership DNA was forged in the crucible of human resources—a background that fundamentally shapes her approach to executive decision-making. She spent 20 years in various roles and locations across the UK, including Head of Reward, Retail People Director and then latterly as Distribution People Director based in Leeds during her tenure at Asda.
This extensive people-focused foundation creates what organisational psychologists term "empathic leadership"—the ability to understand and respond to the emotional and practical needs of diverse stakeholders. Rather than viewing employees as mere operational resources, Currie's HR background instils a profound understanding that sustainable business success emerges from human potential realised, not human capital exploited.
Her educational grounding further reinforces this perspective. She graduated from Strathclyde University having read Business Law and Business Management, creating a dual lens through which she views leadership: the analytical rigour of legal thinking combined with the strategic flexibility of management theory. This combination proves particularly potent in navigating the complex stakeholder relationships that define modern retail leadership.
Currie's formative years at Asda occurred during the era of Archie Norman and Allan Leighton—two titans of British retail transformation who pioneered customer-centric, employee-empowered business models. This mentorship during her graduate programme years embedded principles that would later manifest in her own leadership philosophy: the conviction that retail excellence emerges from frontline empowerment rather than top-down control.
The Greggs Values System
At the heart of Currie's leadership methodology lies an unwavering commitment to organisational values that transcend mere corporate rhetoric. At Greggs, it is our people that make our business successful and our values of being friendly, inclusive, honest, respectful, hardworking and appreciative that enable everyone to feel valued and have the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
These aren't merely aspirational statements adorning conference room walls; they represent operational imperatives that drive strategic decision-making. Currie's leadership style embeds these values into recruitment, performance management, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement—creating what management theorists describe as "authentic leadership" where declared values align seamlessly with demonstrated behaviours.
Purpose-Driven Commercial Strategy
Perhaps most remarkably, Currie has demonstrated that social responsibility and commercial success represent complementary rather than competing forces. Her leadership style, which values both profitability and purpose, resonates with customers, investors, and employees alike. This dual focus manifests in initiatives ranging from the Greggs Foundation's community investments to the Fresh Start employment programme for formerly incarcerated individuals.
Under Currie's stewardship, Greggs has achieved remarkable gender diversity metrics that extend far beyond tokenistic representation. At Greggs, 69% of our total workforce is female and I'm particularly proud that we bring the best talent through the business, regardless of gender. Gender diversity is just as prevalent in our senior leadership positions; almost half of our management teams are female and, of the eight current Board posts, five are held by women.
This isn't merely statistical achievement—it represents a fundamental reimagining of retail leadership that recognises diverse perspectives as competitive advantages rather than compliance requirements. Currie's approach demonstrates that inclusive leadership creates tangible business value through enhanced decision-making, improved customer understanding, and strengthened organisational resilience.
Rather than treating diversity and inclusion as peripheral concerns, Currie has embedded them into management development architecture. Based on the outcomes of this session, we developed the 'Inclusive Leadership' and 'Inclusive Management' workshops that have now been delivered to over 570 of our managers.
This systematic approach reflects her understanding that inclusive leadership requires deliberate skill development rather than relying on good intentions. The workshops include building an individual understanding of D&I and how external and internal influences can impact an inclusive workplace, creating what organisational development experts term "inclusive capability" throughout the management structure.
Perhaps no initiative better exemplifies Currie's leadership philosophy than the Fresh Start programme, which she was integral to establishing. Through Fresh Start, candidates who might not normally apply through mainstream recruitment processes are encouraged and enabled to learn about the great opportunities at Greggs, including returning citizens and long-term unemployed. Greggs has been able to reach over 3,400 candidates, offer 170 placements and 210 jobs including 34 management roles through Fresh Start.
This programme represents transformational leadership in its purest form—using organisational resources to create positive social change whilst simultaneously building business capability. It demonstrates Currie's conviction that business leaders have both opportunity and obligation to address societal challenges through strategic corporate action.
Currie's commitment to social responsibility extends beyond Greggs through her role as Chair of the Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending - a voluntary role working with the Ministry for Justice and New Futures Network encouraging employers to give people a second chance to change their lives having been through the Criminal Justice System.
This external leadership role reinforces her belief that business executives must engage with broader societal challenges rather than remaining within corporate silos. Her chairmanship represents what political economists term "institutional entrepreneurship"—using positional influence to create systemic change that benefits society whilst building business value.
As CEO, Roisin has focused heavily on nurturing the strong culture that is at the heart of Greggs and she sees this as a key component of the organisation's ongoing success. This cultural focus reflects her understanding that sustainable competitive advantage emerges from organisational capability rather than product differentiation alone.
Her approach to cultural development draws from anthropological insights about community building. Rather than imposing culture from executive levels, she creates conditions for authentic cultural evolution that emerges from employee engagement and customer interaction. This methodology produces what organisational sociologists describe as "emergent culture"—authentic community characteristics that develop organically rather than through corporate mandate.
Industry observers consistently note Currie's remarkably humble leadership style that stands in stark contrast to typical executive personas. "We are a really humble brand," she says, "and it is not about the ego of the person who happens to have the title of CEO – it really is about the sum of the team."
This humility isn't mere personal characteristic—it represents strategic leadership philosophy that recognises sustainable success emerges from collective capability rather than individual brilliance. There were constant references to the importance of "our people", "the 32,000 Greggs colleagues… that make the difference. Every day."
Such humility creates psychological safety that enables innovation, risk-taking, and authentic feedback—conditions essential for organisational learning and adaptation in rapidly changing retail environments.
Under Currie's leadership, Greggs has pursued aggressive growth targets that would challenge even the most confident executives. Since becoming CEO, Roisin Currie has focused on ambitious expansion plans for Greggs. In 2022, under her leadership, Greggs reported record-breaking sales of over £1.5 billion, marking a significant 17.8% increase in like-for-like sales. Currie aims to double sales by 2026, which includes expanding Greggs' store network across the UK to reach over 3,000 locations.
These ambitious targets reflect what management strategists term "stretch leadership"—setting aspirational goals that require organisational transformation rather than incremental improvement. Her confidence in pursuing such aggressive growth demonstrates both analytical rigour in market assessment and deep faith in organisational capability.
Currie's strategic vision extends beyond traditional retail boundaries through initiatives that increase brand accessibility and customer convenience. Under Currie's leadership, Greggs has embraced technological innovation and convenience, introducing services like delivery through third-party platforms and click-and-collect options for customers.
This innovation strategy reflects her understanding that customer loyalty emerges from convenience and accessibility rather than product excellence alone. By expanding into transportation hubs, which increases brand accessibility, she demonstrates sophisticated market sensing that identifies emerging customer needs before they become explicit demands.
Currie's commitment to knowledge sharing extends beyond immediate business requirements through strategic partnerships with educational institutions. She is already actively engaged with Northumbria's Newcastle Business School as an Advisory Board member, providing strategic advice to the senior leadership team.
This educational engagement reflects her conviction that business leaders must contribute to future leader development rather than merely extracting talent from educational systems. She has also helped strengthen an established relationship Greggs has with Northumbria by taking on student placements and employing the University's graduates. Many of these recruits have secured permanent employment with Greggs and are progressing swiftly into increasingly senior positions.
Her personal commitment to continuous development further exemplifies this educational leadership approach. In 2019, she completed the Senior Executive Programme at London Business School, a renowned program for executives seeking to advance their leadership skills.
This ongoing learning demonstrates intellectual humility and growth mindset that characterise transformational leaders. Rather than viewing executive position as culmination of learning, she treats it as platform for expanded learning and knowledge application.
The effectiveness of Currie's leadership philosophy translates directly into measurable business outcomes that vindicate her people-centred approach. In 2022, under her leadership, Greggs reported record-breaking sales of over £1.5 billion, marking a significant 17.8% increase in like-for-like sales.
These results demonstrate that inclusive, values-driven leadership doesn't compromise commercial performance—it enhances it through improved employee engagement, customer loyalty, and stakeholder trust. The financial metrics provide empirical validation for leadership approaches that prioritise human development alongside commercial objectives.
The commercial success extends beyond immediate financial metrics to broader brand recognition and market positioning. The `pillars of growth' programme led to Greggs becoming the second strongest brand in the UK with AAA rating.
This brand strength reflects the cumulative impact of authentic leadership that creates genuine customer connection rather than transactional relationships. When employees feel valued and empowered, they create customer experiences that build lasting brand loyalty—a virtuous cycle that Currie's leadership style initiates and sustains.
Currie's leadership demonstrates that executive effectiveness emerges from authentic humility rather than performative confidence. And it will surely be her outstanding people skills that will continue to drive it ever onwards and upwards. This humility creates conditions for collective intelligence that exceeds individual capability.
Modern leaders facing complex stakeholder environments can learn from her approach to shared leadership that distributes decision-making authority whilst maintaining strategic coherence. Such distribution requires profound confidence in organisational capability—confidence that emerges from genuine investment in people development.
Her approach demonstrates that values-driven leadership doesn't constrain strategic options—it provides decision-making frameworks that ensure consistency and authenticity across diverse business challenges. When leaders embed authentic values into strategic processes, they create predictable decision-making patterns that build stakeholder trust and organisational coherence.
Perhaps most importantly, Currie's leadership validates the integration of social responsibility with commercial success. Rather than treating these as competing priorities requiring careful balance, she demonstrates their fundamental complementarity when approached with strategic sophistication and authentic commitment.
Roisin Currie's leadership style represents far more than personal methodology—it embodies emerging paradigms of executive effectiveness that recognise human potential as the ultimate source of sustainable competitive advantage. Her journey from HR professional to transformational CEO illustrates that technical expertise, whilst important, proves less significant than ability to unlock collective capability through inclusive, values-driven leadership.
In an era where stakeholder capitalism demands leaders who can navigate complex social, environmental, and economic challenges simultaneously, Currie's approach provides a compelling blueprint for executive effectiveness. Her success at Greggs demonstrates that businesses can achieve remarkable commercial outcomes precisely because they embrace broader social responsibilities rather than despite them.
As British business continues evolving toward more sustainable and inclusive models, leaders across sectors would benefit from studying Currie's integration of humility, purpose, and performance. Her leadership style suggests that the future belongs to executives who can create conditions for collective flourishing rather than individual brilliance—a profoundly hopeful vision for British business leadership in the decades ahead.
What is Roisin Currie's primary leadership style? Roisin Currie employs a people-centred, inclusive leadership style that combines transformational leadership principles with values-driven decision making. Her approach prioritises employee empowerment, social responsibility, and collaborative governance whilst maintaining focus on commercial excellence.
How does her HR background influence her CEO leadership? Her extensive HR experience creates deep understanding of human motivation and organisational dynamics, enabling her to build inclusive cultures that drive both employee engagement and business performance. This background makes her particularly effective at talent development and stakeholder relationship management.
What makes Currie's leadership style effective at Greggs? Her leadership effectiveness stems from authentic integration of company values into strategic operations, systematic inclusion development, and genuine commitment to social responsibility that resonates with employees, customers, and investors alike.
How does she balance social responsibility with commercial success? Rather than viewing these as competing priorities, Currie demonstrates their complementarity through initiatives like the Fresh Start programme that create both social value and business capability, proving that purpose-driven leadership enhances rather than constrains commercial performance.
What leadership lessons can other executives learn from her approach? Key lessons include the power of authentic humility in building collective capability, the importance of systematic inclusion development, the strategic value of values-based decision making, and the competitive advantage created by genuine integration of social responsibility with commercial objectives.
How has her leadership style contributed to Greggs' recent success? Under her leadership, Greggs achieved record-breaking sales exceeding £1.5 billion, became the UK's second strongest brand, and maintained remarkable employee engagement metrics whilst pursuing aggressive expansion goals—demonstrating that inclusive, people-centred leadership drives superior business outcomes.
What role does continuous learning play in her leadership philosophy? Currie exemplifies lifelong learning through her completion of executive education programmes and active engagement with academic institutions, demonstrating that effective leaders must continuously develop their capabilities whilst contributing to future leader development.