I'm Joshua Adeyeye. I'm originally from Nigeria. I originally came to the UK to study in 1997.

I work at NEXT as a Product Group Manager in the CCX Systems Team. I started at NEXT in the call centre and I've worked my way through different departments, working through different systems teams, to the role I'm currently in. I love the challenge and never ending passion to be better. I like challenging myself to develop new solutions and create more efficient ways of being able to resolve issues and produce new features for the business.

My family is a huge inspiration for my work ethic and to be the best that I can be in work. My greatest achievement at NEXT is looking back from where I started, to where I am now. I've found myself in a position with lots of responsibilities within the systems team and constantly strive to aim high. I've found challenges along the way but this is what makes me be a better person.

I'm extremely proud to be dual heritage with my mum being British and my dad being Nevisian and they've always supported being creative. I've taken elements from both cultures when thinking about my approach to my career and since starting here at NEXT.

I'm very open to getting involved with different projects, really strive to keep an open mind as well as trying and experimenting with new ideas and embracing different sources of inspiration.

I have always had an interest in learning about different cultural backgrounds and I think this has really helped me when in a creative environment, thinking up and imagining stories which I can turn into print ideas.  

I was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. I moved to South Africa when I was 2 years old where we stayed for 6 years. My family and I moved to Botswana where we lived for 10 years and then we moved to the UK.

Being exposed to different African cultures, one thing I have loved to see and experience is beautiful colours and flavour! The people are colourful inside and out, the environment is filled with colours of love and support for one another and the animals, be it wild or tamed parade in the African sun with their beautiful colours. Friends become family and family become friends.

Being at Next for 7 years now, I have brought this into my work by bringing a colourful type of thinking when it comes to how I approach things. As a team formed from different cultures, we each bring a unique way to approach our day to day activities. I love to celebrate different heritages and I endeavour to put a bit of colour and flavour into all that I do, be it what I wear or what I eat! 

My name is Ajibola, I am Nigerian and I speak two languages, Yoruba and English.

Nigerians are typically known for excelling in what they do. We are hardworking and never back down from a challenge. As a masters student who had returned to the U.K. after leaving in 2018, I embarked on a transition to Human Resources. I was selected (amongst others) to be part of the very first internship programme at NEXT.
Although I was slightly older than the other interns, I didn't let that discourage me and put my best foot forward. This yielded great results because I was offered a role at Head Office and every year, I get to encourage other interns on their journey as well.

I am making an impact here at NEXT because I am showing other students that it is possible to strive for something and get it, with hard work and determination.

My journey at Next started the day before my 21st Birthday. I started out as a temp in the Finance department - brought in for a couple of weeks to reduce a backlog and have never looked back.

I was taken on as a trainee and went on to qualify as an accountant. Working a number of different roles within the department gave me exposure to so many different areas of Next. Along the way I furthered my studies and took my transferable skills to different disciplines in other business areas working in Next Imports, Next Brands and now a big transformation project back in Next Finance.

In addition, being involved in establishing Unity at Next, our hub for cultural diversity is something I’m immensely proud of. Connecting so well with various people in the company over the years, I’ve really learnt the power that collaboration and a positive mindset have in achieving our goals. Having the Courage to push the boat out and the Energy to make it happen! I’ve had the good fortune to have people who’ve shown confidence in me at various points and pushed me on to higher levels.

My breakthroughs haven’t been my own and I’m the product of sacrifices of many, primarily my family. Moving from Zimbabwe after high school, I’ve always wanted to make something of myself and add value to whatever circumstance of life I find myself in. And that remains the same.

Aluta continua!

I was born in Spain, and moving abroad completely changed my perspective on interacting with others. I used to be very introverted, so when people with warm personalities would greet me at NEXT, it made me really happy. Their kindness had such an impact on me that I wanted to do the same for others. I wanted to be someone that people felt comfortable approaching and welcomed by. Over time, I started becoming more extroverted and focused on bringing happiness to those around me.

So for me, joining NEXT through 10k Black Interns was a really inspiring experience because they create opportunities for us to increase our professional development and has the best interest for our futures. Everyone at NEXT showed me the importance of amiability and the sense of community. That is why i was really proud to be part of this amazing journey with NEXT!