Jo Shepherd

The home heating industry has long-been dominated by men and the combi boiler. But all things must change.

In 2022 The market share for Worcester Bosch had remained static for five years. The world was becoming more focused on sustainability and electrification (just like in the electric vehicle market).

Jo Shepherd, Sales and Marketing Director, joined Worcester Bosch in October 2022 as the changemaker for the business and industry - a progressive leader for internal and external revolution.

Bringing strong female leadership, she oversaw a structural and cultural transformation and 2023 saw immediate results. Worcester Bosch returned to market share growth with an increase in turnover, while the market declined. The company also saw customer NPS increase from 60 to 66, and Jo received an employee NPS score of 100% from her team.

At the start of 2023, Jo set out a strategic plan that reflected her personal values - taking control of her own destiny, resilience in the face of a major challenge, and fostering a high performing team.

These values were forged in large part through her experience as a single mother of two teenage girls - looking to inspire and show them the way every day. The drive to lead her family fuels her ambition and progress in the world of business.

Jo’s three-year three-pillar strategic plan focused on people, customer-centricity, and research, underpinned by a core focus on sustainability.

With people, Jo worked quickly to build a team to drive change. This meant getting the right people in place, fostering a more inclusive environment among the sales team, and adjusting the structure of the team to include an additional segmentation. The team now feels more valued and better aligned with business success.

The company has always had a customer first approach and Jo brought a step change in focus on the specific needs of its customers and partners. This ensured resource would be used more effectively across the customer base. This also saw Jo running regular strategic offsites to transform behaviours, and structurally changing compensation and incentives for sales teams.

Finally, to bring greater focus on customer-centricity, Jo invested in a company-first and comprehensive research project to better understand customer segmentation. The output has revolutionised the company’s approach to selling and marketing to prospects and installers. With dynamic segmentation, Worcester Bosch has never been closer to its customers.

This all saw key initiatives launched, such as a new Professional App for installers with 10,000 downloads, and a consumer facing MyBosch portal with 30,000 sign ups. It saw further electrification of Worcester Bosch’s heating solutions, greater focus on recycling, aligning with the company’s purpose: ‘Make home comfort green’.

Already a huge success, this is just the start as Jo continues to lead Worcester Bosch through the biggest transformation of its existence. Her ambition is greater than ever, and she will continue to lean into her strong values to achieve her vision of successfully elevating the brand and transitioning into the electrification heating space.