Welcome to the February edition of the Fairford & Lechlade Business Club newsletter, we trust that during these COVID and frosty times you, your family, friends and colleagues are keeping well.
On Saturday the 27th of February, the Annual Business Awards will take place, albeit virtually. This is a wonderful opportunity for the Club, its members, and the wider community to show case the business talent within our region. Supporting our local community rests at the heart of what we do, each year we are astounded by the calibre of entrants, their achievements and more especially the resilience they have demonstrated in these times – well done to all those entrants.
Within each newsletter we take the opportunity to introduce ourselves as Steering Committee Members and tell you a little about ourselves and our respective businesses.
After 30 years of working for other people and companies, I finally decided to do something for myself. In January 2018 started my own coaching and consultancy business. Initially I started my working life as an apprentice aircraft engineer working my up to senior roles. How naive was I to believe prop wash was a cleaning compound! Soon I found myself working in the Middle East where I quickly discovered how little I knew about business, people, and different cultures. I often recall the experiences my wife and I had within those local markets where anything goes, I almost sold my wife Tina to Bahraini Jeweller!
Back to school as an adult student I graduated with a master’s degree and my commercial career started. Over the years I have held several senior roles including Chair of Board, CEO, Managing Director, Sales Director, Group Marketing Manager, Operations Manager, and Aircraft Maintenance Manager. The sectors I have worked within have been quite varied including Aviation, Engineering, Plumbing, Electrical, Lighting, HVAC, Fenestration, Construction, Education, Health, Tools & Test Equipment, CCTV & Security, Data & Communications, Consumables, Wholesale and Distribution. I have been fortunate to work with family and community-based organisations, small, medium, and large sized, national, and international businesses. I consider my specialism as knowing “the business of business” so to say.
What I have learn over all those years is that continuous education and on-going self-development sits at the heart of one’s goals, both personal and professional. I am passionate about sharing knowledge, learning and self-development, but more importantly I enjoy helping people make the right decisions. I push one to learn and apply those learnings with structured guidance and support every step of the way.
I am an ethical family man whose foundations are based upon honesty and integrity and are a keen participant in my community. Recently I was appointed to The Grove Learning Trust in Highworth. With the benefit wide ranging experience, formal training an insight to behaviours, my business can support most businesses owners irrespective of size of their business to achieve what some consider not possible. The speed of that achievement simply comes down the commitment one is prepared to make. It all starts with a chat over a coffee.
Being a member of the Fairford and Lechlade Business Club has been a most rewarding, having a small part in helping businesses in our villages and communities thrive. Finally, my favourite saying “If you think that you can or cannot… you are right” Henry Ford.
