A TOP executive urged people to "do what you love and love what you do" as she shared the secrets of her success at the University of Bolton.

Angela Spindler was the latest guest to join broadcaster Gordon Burns for the popular "an evening with" networking event following Debbie Pierce appearance in November who told of her rise from a Saturday girl on Bury Market to the managing director of multi-million pound company.

Ms Spindler is the CEO of N Brown Group Plc — owners of brands such as Simply Be and Fashion World — and she spoke about her journey from psychology student at the University of Manchester to transforming the clothing brand George at Asda.

As a graduate trainee for Cadbury Schweppes she embarked on doing door to door sales selling beverages to pubs and clubs in Stoke-on-Trent — consistently achieving top sales in her region.

Ms Spindler, who lives in Yorkshire, said: "In all of the jobs I have had since then, the art of persuasion and selling have been the root of my success and consistently helped put me on the map."

She went on to join Mars, where she worked in the pet food department where her most notable achievement was turning the label of Whiskas purple. The company previously used different colours but settling on purple gave the brand strong connotations to a premium quality product; improving sales and status within the marketplace.

At ASDA, she rose through the ranks to become global managing director of the £2bn George label.

And she recalled her time at the Original Factory Shop as some of the most memorable in her career.

Ms Spindler said: "As a smaller business you have to create yourself and build a network. I was able to leverage all the contacts, skill and experience that I’d picked up at bigger businesses."

She concluded by saying: "You have to do what you love and love what you do."