What is your greatest achievement inside of work?
I suppose leading the Business Development team through the unprecedented COVID lockdowns and restriction, it brought the board members even closer together as we worked hard on an emergency strategy to deal with what really was an unknown.
What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
Undoubtedly caring for my mum as she battled with cancer, i look back on that period with no regrets.What are the things you have done at
Haden Freeman that you are the proudest about?Driving transformation from Account Manager to a Director / Leadership role, developing new knowledge and skills that were required for it to be a success.
What is your best working memory?
There isn’t one single memory that stands out, I’m lucky to have lots of good memories throughout my career, I have built some great friendships over the years with both ex colleagues and clients alike.
If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
Most Definitely that I talk too much, need to listen more!
What do you consider your greatest strengths?
HUMILITY – knowing my faults and being able to hold myself accountable.
I am a very positive person, I am also reflective, If I need to improve anything I usually know where.
What is the favourite part of your job?
Feeling like I’ve created value that has led to new business and long term partnerships, also the interaction with people that is required to develop good relationships.
What is your best memory from your childhood?
Mostly, I look back at how lucky I was to have such a strong and loving family network, which when you are young can be taken for granted. I learnt from them about my own strengths and limits and how to overcome difficulties which has helped me to get to where I am today.
What has been your favourite holiday destination?
It’s not about the place but the memories made, and Ibiza holds some very special ones from holidays with my wife Claire and my son Lewis.
What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
I love my football, I don’t play anymore but enjoy following the Boro, I also enjoy playing squash, golf, countryside/seaside walks as long as there’s a pub at the end of the route.
What motivates you to come to work each day?
Being able to drive improvements, creative destruction means however well you are doing today it will soon not be good enough, so I continue to strive to find more ways to create value.
What was your worst job interview and why?
I really cannot think of a bad interview but can easily think of the best interview, my interview location changed last minute and I was given a ticket for the races, on meeting up again with my future MD he asked what I was drinking, every instinct in me told me to order a tea or coffee ( that’s what recruiters would tell you) but I went for a beer, we joked that decision secured the role.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Family and friends are what’s important so of course I would want to make sure I could help those who needed it. A no expense spared holiday would be nice, after a shopping trip to Kings Road! I’d also quite like to invest in fledgling business’s, not quite dragons’ den but you know what I mean.
What are your five top qualities?
1, Resilience
2, Positivity
3, Empathetic
4, Tenacity
5, Humility
Who inspired you to make you want to pursue your career within engineering industry?
In a previous role my MD Bryan Bunn first gave me the opportunity to work within an engineering business, I had recruited for engineering companies for years and was growing stale, instantly I felt invigorated with a new desire to grow again. My current MD Wayne Baxter is now my mentor and continues to support my development by sharing his knowledge and experiences with me today.
As a child what did you want to be when you grow up?
Vicar, Bin man, traffic warden, the usual but as I went through school I didn’t really have any idea what I wanted to do, I thought about Loughborough and into PE teaching but then took a part time job with Fosters menswear when at sixth form, I was a natural salesman with the ability to engage with people and things developed from there.
If you were to give your younger self some advice what would that be?
Live in the moment! I spent too many years wishing the weeks away for the next party, football match, holiday and not really appreciating what was around me at the time.
Where do you see yourself in the next 10 Years?
In 10 years time I will still have another 15 years left god willing, I always see myself in some kind of business development role for sure, I’ll be looking to give something back nurturing young talent I’d imagine.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
Wembley stadium watching Boro lifting the Champions league trophy.
