M-Sport Member Spotlight​

Kyle Shelford ​

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Kyle Shelford’s responsibilities as Merchandising Coordinator are endless. He oversees a wide range of tasks including distributing team kits to event staff and managing relationships with licensees and partners. Below is a more detailed breakdown of his day-to-day duties at M-Sport.

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How long have you been with M-Sport, and how did you come to work here?

I started at M-Sport in November 2023, so around nine months now. However, I have been living up here for the past four years working in different fields of work. At the time I wasn’t actively looking for a new job but I just happened to stumble upon the job advert for M-Sport online. Growing up I have always had an interest in motorsport, and after seeing the role and what it entailed really piqued my interest from then on, the rest is history.

 

You are a familiar face to many at M-Sport, but what does your day-to-day look like and what various projects do you work on?

My role as Merchandise Coordinator has a lot of responsibilities. One part of the job is making sure that team members have the kit they need. This side of my role has allowed me to meet many of my colleagues across M-Sports many departments. Another key part of my role and one I particularly enjoy would be getting to work with our licensee’s. With this I am involved with the approvals of merchandise that is to come out, from concept to a finished product. The steps involved, the back and forth to get high-quality products is just an awesome process to be a part of. Once the products are available for the general public, I would help to push this online, creating graphic designs, product photos and posts as well as liaising with licensees for any deals that may help increase interest or sales.

 

What type of skills do you need for your role?

Time management, communication and being able to prioritise tasks definitely helps in day-to-day work. With the team continuously travelling. Good time management and communication is key as you have a quick turnaround. Many team members return with their kit needing replaced, and in a few cases team kit has to be loaded on the trucks to those who have stayed out. This is when good communication is important, making sure you know who is back and who has stayed out, so that the right kit is being handed out here at M-Sport or being sent out with the correct trucks. It’s also at this point where prioritising task becomes important, with new merchandise being submitted for approval and needing checked you always have to be aware of any deadlines or urgency of specific products. So, whilst making sure the team has what they need and going to the right places, you have to make sure licensees are receiving required feedback making sure development continues to make progress.

 

What is your favourite part about your job and what has been the most rewarding project that you have worked on?

My favourite part of about my job would have to be being able to work with the licensees. Seeing a product from concept then working together to where the final product is something we are proud of. For example, one stage on the development process involves one product sample arriving here for approval. This is a critical step in development. This would be the first time where we see a physical sample of any product our licensees are producing. I say critical as, this is really where any feedback or changes that need to be made should be raised. Therefore, a thorough check needs to be done on the sample and any amendments required passed on as not far down the line it goes to production.

 

What were you up to before you came here?

I originally attended Manchester University studying Sports Business. However, before M-Sport I worked in maintenance at a wedding venue in Lorton. It was a very active role and a most of the time we were outdoors as well as doing some DJing for the weddings at the venue. As well as this, I also did freelance graphic and web design.

 

Do you have any hobbies outside of work? Are you interested in motorsports?

My main hobby outside of work is playing basketball and I currently play at an open session twice a week in Carlisle. Basketball isn’t really a big sport up here, but I was lucky enough to find this session and if we guarantee a good turnout per session it is always good. Although its an open session and just for a bit of fun it can definitely turn very competitive very quickly.

 

Have you got any plans for the future and are there any new skills or areas you are looking to develop or explore?

No plans as of it. I’m really enjoying my role here at M-Sport and plan to continue gaining more experience in the team and developing my skillset. I want to learn as much as I can, and we shall see from there!