DEAN SHAW
SHOWROOM MANAGER, ASHLEY ANN, INVERNESS

Although my focus hasn’t always been on design, I’ve been working in the interiors industry since I left school. I got my start labouring with my dad laying floors, and worked my way up from there to looking after nationwide floor covering contracts.

I always thought my career path was set for life, but on the spur of the moment in 2007 I decided to move from West Yorkshire to the north of Scotland. It was certainly a fortuitous move, as it gave me my first experience working with Ashley Ann as part of the Head Office team. That was a fantastic introduction to the company, and when the chance came to move to Inverness to head up the team here it seemed a perfect fit.

I’m a keen cyclist and living in the area gives me plenty of opportunity to get out into the surrounding countryside. When I’m not whipping around forest trails on my mountain bike, I’m whipping up my latest culinary creation in the kitchen. I can’t imagine a better way to spend time with my family, and they certainly claim to enjoy my cooking – although they might just be being kind!

Since my move here in 2015 I’ve enjoyed every moment of my time as Showroom Manager. Family is the most important thing to me and I know just how much it means to have every detail of your home just right.