Rachel Stechler

Rachel Stechler, the off-price allocator at accessories brand Radley & Co, is the youngest member of the 30 under 30 but has already been earmarked as a high-flyer. Fashion Personnel managing director Shelley Pinto says she is “a real rising star”.

With work experience at Fenwick, Vintage Academe, Tesco, Cath Kidston and Sports Direct under her belt, Stechler started a degree in retail management at London College of Fashion in October 2010. But after a year she wanted to get her hands dirty.

“It has always been my ambition to work in fashion retail,” she says. “By the time I was 18, I’d already gained considerable insight, undertaking short-term roles in merchandising, buying and licensing.

I found academic study frustrating because I craved the practical opportunities that would set me apart from my peers.”

Before her first year at university was over, Stechler started looking for non-graduate roles in fashion retail and was snapped up by Radley & Co. She made her mark quickly – a team player, working hard, running reports to maximise stock potential.

Working closely with the merchandisers, Stechler excelled in the role and when the lead merchandiser left she took on the extra responsibility. “It was a moment to prove my worth and I enjoyed rising to the challenge,” she says.

Stechler describes herself as a passionate, ambitious person – she already has her mind set on becoming a head of merchandising – and wants to go far at Radley & Co.

“I love that success can be measured concretely and that growth is easily quantifiable,” she says. “The clear outcome of reaching sales targets drives me to work harder every week.”

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