From the shop floor to People Analytics

For Mitesh, joining a Coral shop in Birmingham was the start of a career journey he hadn’t expected. While finishing university, a conversation with a colleague opened his eyes to opportunities beyond Retail and the possibility of building a career in data at Entain.

Less than six months after joining, he made the move into People Analytics. Today, he’s combining his technical skills with first-hand knowledge of our Retail business to turn data into meaningful insights. We caught up with Mitesh to hear how he made the move, what he’s learned and why your first role doesn’t have to define where you go next.

Tell us about where your Entain journey started.

My journey started in a Coral shop in Birmingham, where I joined as a Customer Service Manager while studying at university. I was completely new to betting and gaming, so there was plenty to learn, from understanding odds and different types of bets to helping customers with more complex questions. It was a steep learning curve, but I had a great team around me who helped me find my feet. And as someone who follows a lot of sport, being surrounded by live sport throughout the day was definitely a bonus!

Working in the shop gave me a real understanding of how our Retail business operates, the importance of customer experience and what it takes to keep things running smoothly. At the time, I didn’t realise how valuable that experience would become.

You moved into People Analytics in less than six months. How did that opportunity come about?

It actually started with a conversation in the shop. Not long after I joined, a colleague mentioned the internal opportunities available at Entain and encouraged me to explore what else I could do within the business. I was focused on finishing my dissertation at the time, but the conversation stayed with me.

As university came to an end, I started thinking seriously about my next step. I’d studied data and analytics and gained some experience through an internship, including working on an HR analytics project. When I spotted an internal role in People Analytics, I could see how my skills aligned with what the team needed. I’d only been at Entain a few months, but I’d already learned a lot about the business. Rather than looking elsewhere to start my career in analytics, I saw an opportunity to build it here.

What does your role in People Analytics look like today?

My role is about helping our People teams make better-informed decisions by turning workforce data into useful insights. I analyse information across areas such as recruitment, attrition and absence, identifying trends and building dashboards that help teams understand what’s happening across the business. I also work with stakeholders across People, Finance, Legal and Regulatory teams, bringing together information from different systems to answer questions and support decisions.

An important part of my role is making sure our people data is accurate and reliable. After all, the insights we provide are only as good as the information behind them. Ultimately, it’s about making complex data easier to understand and helping the business identify opportunities to work more efficiently and make better decisions.

Have the skills you developed in Retail helped you in your new role?

Definitely, and probably more than I expected. Working in Retail taught me the importance of understanding what people need, communicating clearly and responding quickly, particularly when accuracy matters. In the shop, that meant helping customers with questions about bets, offers or outcomes. In People Analytics, I’m supporting internal stakeholders, but the approach is similar. I need to listen, understand what someone is asking for and provide information they can trust.

My Retail experience has also given me a perspective I wouldn’t have gained from data alone. When I’m analysing information relating to our shops, I understand how teams operate, how colleagues use different systems and some of the challenges they face every day. Having worked in that environment means I can see the people and experiences behind the numbers, which helps me provide insights that are genuinely useful.

What has this move meant for your career and future ambitions?

Moving into People Analytics gave me the opportunity to start the career I’d spent years at university preparing for, without having to leave Entain. I’ve developed my technical skills, but I’ve also learned how data can be used to make a real difference to business decisions. Combining that with my experience in Retail has helped me build a much broader understanding of the business.

It’s also an exciting time to be working in data. AI is changing the role of analysts so quickly that sometimes it feels like things are moving faster than the greyhounds at Romford! There’s always something new to learn, and that’s what motivates me. My long-term ambition is to become a respected leader in data. I’ve still got plenty to learn, but I feel like I’m building the right experience to get there.

What advice would you give someone in Retail who wants to explore a different career at Entain?

I’d encourage them to think big about where they’d like their career to go and not limit themselves to the role they’re doing today. One of the advantages of working for a business like Entain is the variety of opportunities available, whether that’s in data, technology, People, Legal or something completely different. Sometimes it just takes a conversation to discover a career path you hadn’t considered.

Keep an eye on internal vacancies, understand the skills different roles require and speak to recruiters if something interests you. Even if you’re unsure whether your experience is the right fit, asking questions is a great place to start. And don’t underestimate what you’re learning in Retail. You’re gaining valuable knowledge of our customers, our people and how the business works, and that can be a real advantage wherever your career takes you.

I joined Entain to work in a Coral shop while finishing university. Less than six months later, I was starting a career in analytics. I wouldn’t have known that opportunity existed if a colleague hadn’t mentioned it to me, so my advice is simple: stay curious, explore what’s possible and don’t be afraid to take that next step.