David Swann Lassche got his first taste of retailing helping out in his father’s butcher’s shop in Cork city. Then, to earn pocket money as a teenager, he got a job sweeping floors and baling cardboard in the stockroom of Dunnes Stores on Merchant’s Quay.
It may not have been the most glamorous introduction to the sector, but Swann Lassche – a BComm graduate from UCC who also has a BA in human resources management – loved everything about the retail environment from the get-go.
Learning the business from the ground up has also stood to him throughout his career. He started as a trainee manager in Dunnes and for the last 13 years has been with Primark, where he has climbed the ladder to become country leader for the Netherlands and company ambassador for diversity and inclusion.
Swann Lassche left Cork in 2014 to join the team opening Primark’s new Dutch store in Enschede.
RM Block
“I quickly fell in love with the people and the culture, but it was the career opportunities that won me over. At the time, Primark was in a growth phase and it was clear that if I pushed myself, there was real potential for a rewarding career,” he says. “There’s also a deep bench of experienced talent within the Penneys network which appeals to me.
“When I joined the company, I had already spent 10 years with Dunnes Stores and wanted a new challenge. I actually took a few steps back in my career to get a foot in the door at Penneys.
“Had I stayed in Ireland, the maturity of the market might have made it much harder and slower to progress. The momentum and opportunity I encountered in the Netherlands allowed me to advance at a pace I never expected. Since arriving, I’ve gone from assistant store manager to store manager running two stores simultaneously, to area manager and now to country leader. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind in the best possible way.”
One aspect of working in the Netherlands that Swann Lassche particularly likes is the directness with which people communicate.
“At first, this was quite an adjustment,” he says. “Coming from Cork, where people tend to be warm and perhaps overly polite, it was a big cultural shift to have colleagues who didn’t mince their words and gave feedback openly and honestly. Initially it was quite confronting but, over time, I’ve come to accept this style and really value it. What you see is what you get. That brings a certain mental clarity and efficiency.”
[ Penneys’ Irish parent profits top €2m per day last yearOpens in new window ]
Swann Lassche lives with his husband, their young son and two Chow Chows in a renovated farmhouse in the village of Enter.
“Enter is known for its rich clog-making heritage, strong sense of community and beautiful natural surroundings,” he says. “There are plenty of walking trails through woodlands and along waterways right on our doorstep.
“The village’s unique claim to fame is that it features in the Guinness World Records for having the world’s largest wooden clog carved from a single piece of wood.”
Primark’s regional HQ is in Rotterdam, but Swann Lassche prefers to spend most of his time visiting the company’s 19 stores across the Netherlands which, between them, employ roughly 3,000 people.
“Each location has enough space for me to work comfortably. This means I can keep in touch with teams, be visible and get a real feel for what’s happening on the ground.
“I consider myself a true old-fashioned retailer. I love to be with our people and products and feeling the buzz of the sales floor – which is incomparable to other retailers as our pace is so fast.
Growing up in Catholic Ireland, attending religious schools and being the only son in the family shaped my worldview in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time
“I’m passionate about lifelong learning and have continued to study at UCC through distance learning,” he says. “I’ve completed three postgrads in building work-based resilience, advocacy and trauma-informed care which align closely with my role, especially in terms of building cultural awareness and people-centred leadership.
“I’ve also passed the Dutch NTI C1 language qualification and completed the national integration exams. But my heart remains with UCC. I was the first in my family to attend university and my years there were formative and incredibly special. I like the feeling of staying connected to something that truly shaped who I am.”
Swann Lassche never intended to leave Ireland for good but, reflecting on his time away, he says it was the best decision ever.
“Growing up in Catholic Ireland, attending religious schools and being the only son in the family shaped my worldview in ways I didn’t fully understand at the time,” he says. “As a gay man, I struggled to embrace my identity. I’m not placing blame on anyone or any part of my upbringing. These were the pressures I internalised myself. It’s only with time and perspective you realise there was no need to be so worried or insecure.
“Work was always a place where I felt accepted, especially working for Penney’s on Patrick Street.
“In the summer of 2014, I had the chance to work in Paris with Primark. The anonymity and opportunity to reinvent myself really appealed to me.
“I was immediately drawn to the idea of living abroad and saw real potential for growth within Primark internationally. France was a great experience, but it didn’t feel like the right fit. That changed completely when I came to the Netherlands. From day one, it just clicked.”
