How long have you been working for Kelly Group?
I joined Kelly Group 11 years ago.
What positions have you held throughout your tenure?
I started my journey as an engineer, when the BTOR Service Delivery contract first started, further into my career I had the pleasure to be promoted to Team Manager, then Field Support Coach. 8 years ago,
I was promoted to Area Manager and became responsible for East Anglia, and I took over the Northeast region 3 years after that. 6 months ago, the northwest and northeast areas merged making me the Area Manager for the North region. I believe in progression, and I continuously support the career progression of engineers. This reflects on my own team; most people started off as engineers and worked their way up to roles they aspired to achieve.
What does a typical week look like?
Each team manager has got a team of 15-20 engineers, and I currently look after 9 teams. There are approximately 150 engineers working within my region. My responsibility is to monitor absences in the morning ensuring we can deliver all jobs that are assigned for that day, to the
highest standards. Once the working day starts, I review our teams’ performance from the previous day, conduct reports and provide feedback to our senior leadership team. I tend to stay available for our teams throughout the day and provide support.
Do you have any set goals in mind for the next 12 months?
Professionally, my goal would be to maintain our outstanding performance on the Service Delivery contract. On a personal note, I am a very active person. I recently started a hiking challenge with my partner, aiming to complete all Wainwright Routes covering 214 hiking routes in the Lake District. We started this challenge a month ago and we managed to complete three routes over the past month. It’s a relatively new hobby, I used to spend all my time in the water, doing open water swimming however, hiking in between the lakes is a nice change.
What three words best describe your role?
- Challenging
- Rewarding
- Stressing – which actually pushes me to do better within the role, as I work much better under pressure
Before working for Kelly Group, what was the most unusual or interesting job you have ever had?
I joined the army as a boy soldier just before my 16th birthday, through The Army Foundation College. I was 19 when I got a bad ankle injury which resulted in several surgeries. During the recovery stages, doctors discovered that I lost all feeling in my right foot and I was medically discharged from service - that’s when I started working with Jason Chandler. It was my life goal to stay in the army and eventually serve the Queen which unfortunately never happened. Being in the army wasn’t always easy. During my recovery and transition period, I was settling into a new normal and getting ready for my wedding. During this time, I lost friends due to conflicts in danger zones - even losing my best man who sadly passed during a mission just 3 weeks before my wedding. Serving in the forces for 3 years was an experience, with many highs and lows. However, I believe that both the good and bad experiences shaped the person I am today. I’m grateful for meeting many amazing people and visiting wonderful places.
If you could switch your job with anyone else for one week, whose job would you want to experience?
It would be interesting for me to go back and see what an engineer does now for a day and see what changed since my time.
What advice do you have for new Kelly Group engineers coming into the business?
You learn as you go along. Be curious, optimistic and work hard towards your ambitions.
What 3 words would your friends/family use to describe you?
- Outgoing
- Sensitive
- Organised
What is your proudest moment?
I was 26 when I become an area manager, making me the youngest area manager so far at Kelly Group, which makes me extremely proud – it is what I enjoy doing the most. A personal moment is having my daughter, Heidi – she’s 8 now.
