Leadership in Private Sector sponsored by Hello Starling
The shortlist – click on a name to read their personal “Leadership Story”
Kate Batchelor – (Operations Director), Home Instead Senior Care
Mike Jones – (Regional Managing Director), Arthur J Gallagher
Scott Liddle – (Director of Operations – Technical), Acorn
Kate Batchelor
Role: Operations Director
Organisation: Home Instead Senior Care
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with fabulous leaders who instilled the need for hard and soft skills in business, but also poor leaders who did not lead by example. From both experiences I have learnt that you are only as good as the people in your organisation and if you treat them well and appreciate them they will always exceed your expectations. A motivated work force who believes in your vision is your best asset.
My work ethic comes from my parents who ran their own businesses showing how effort makes a difference both professionally and in the community.
What have been the main highlights and challenges since taking up your leadership role with Home Instead Senior Care?
Care was a new sector for me and it was crucial that I up-skilled quickly. Completing the care qualification improved my confidence and demonstrated that ‘to us it’s personal’.
Evidence of this includes; being recognised by Homecare.co.uk as a top 10 provider of Home care for three years running and obtaining the Small Workplace Health Award.
A huge boost for us was achieving IIP Gold because it celebrates how we support our staff and have made the business operationally more robust.
Seeing our CAREGivers gain awards and National recognition for the fabulous care they give has been my greatest pleasure.
What have been the most helpful things you have learnt from these highlights and challenges?
Praise works – we are always so quick to criticise. A simple ‘thank you’ for a job well done goes a long way.
Be consistent – people will respect your fairness and will always know where they stand.
Lead by example – don’t ask others to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself.
What do you think is the biggest issue facing leaders in Wales in 2016?
- Succession planning and recruiting people with the right skills
- Encouraging investment with sustainable job creation for more rural parts of Wales
Which other leaders in Wales do you admire and why?
Mario Kreft- for driving through positive changes in the care sector and for launching the Care Forum Wales Awards, where the fabulous people who care for others have a platform to be recognised. He works tirelessly to promote the social care sector, whilst also running an excellent business.
What is one word that sums up leadership for you?
Passion
Mike Jones
Role: Regional Managing Director (Wales)
Organisation: Arthur J Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
Honesty, integrity and respect for others have been the core of my family life.
From a young age starting by chance in this industry, hard work, delivering on what you promise, and leading by example are what I stand for and I believe has led to a successful business.
Whether business or social, clients or organisations, what you expect of others should be the minimum of what you give. It’s easier to be followed than to lead.
What have been the main highlights and challenges since taking up your leadership role with Arthur J Gallagher organisation?
To ensure stability in the region following the acquisition; engaging with each individual to retain our core asset would allow us to continue to thrive and grow the business within the new organisation.
Then being part of a global business, how we ensured Wales would be a priority to allow further expansion. We had to align the business to key personnel across the globe to gain their confidence, working with them, and with Wales Assembly to demonstrate the potential of Wales and the benefits of the Wales economy and talent pool. We have now achieved this and are looking forward to becoming a global asset to the AJG group giving us substantial growth opportunities in Wales.
What have been the most helpful things you have learnt from these highlights and challenges?
Believe in your proposition, position it professionally to the right audience, and ensure you are surrounded by quality colleagues who deliver on what you promise. Retaining colleagues based on relationship and development, and retaining clients based on relationship and service gives us the foundation to grow our business.
What do you think is the biggest issue facing leaders in Wales in 2016?
Many external factors impact our business. The recent announcement from Tata will have a knock on effect across Wales. We don’t know the impact of The Brexit debate. Leaders have to create quality, sustainable jobs. We have to invest in long term decisions and not short term quick fixes. Profit need to be retained and reinvested in business to allow this to happen.
Which other leaders in Wales do you admire and why?
On a commercial note I applaud what Henry Engelhardt and David Stevens have created at Admiral Group. To start this and to be Wales’ only FTSE 100 Company is a terrific achievement. I have followed these closely since their start in 1993 as direct writers changed the industry.
What is one word that sums up leadership for you?
Respect
Scott Liddle
Role: Director of Operations (Technical)
Organisation: Acorn
How has your life experience made you the leader you are today?
I have been fortunate enough to work with and for some truly inspiring leaders, but equally as important, I’ve had first-hand experience of working for some of the poorest. Experiencing different management styles has helped shape me into who I am today.
In the past, where I have felt valued as a colleague and given clear goals, it’s has helped spark my own drive and determination to achieve. Where I have been ignored, criticised or had a feeling of being overlooked, I have had little or no interest in the outcome of the task in hand.
These different experiences have taught me to value every individual contribution. In turn, they have helped make me a better leader.
What have been the main highlights and challenges since taking up your leadership role with Acorn?
I guess my biggest challenge was leaving my background as an Engineer to join a successful business with a proven track record in a completely new sector and lead an established team of staff with many years’ experience, often set in their ways.
This challenge turned into one of my main highlights as I’m extremely proud to have led Acorn’s Technical Division from a turnover of £2.9M to £30M ten years later, whilst still feeling the same passion and enthusiasm to continue this growth as if it were my first year, and latterly becoming part of the UK Executive Board.
Throughout this time my team has grown and my colleagues have developed, which gives me tremendous satisfaction.
What have been the most helpful things you have learnt from these highlights and challenges?
The most important assets in any business are people. People like clear direction, but must be involved in the decision making process, and must feel valued in their contribution throughout. If you can persuade people to do something because they believe it’s what they want to do, then you’re doing a good job as a leader.
What do you think is the biggest issue facing leaders in Wales in 2016?
Skill shortage is potentially the biggest issue currently facing leaders in Wales. We need to act now, starting with our own workforce, to work with our people to deliver meaningful training that can be put into practice immediately. Training, for the sake of training, is in no one’s interest.
Which other leaders in Wales do you admire and why?
I admire Acorn’s CEO, Matt Southall – his energy, enthusiasm and incredible ability to inspire people to go the extra mile is commendable. I also have huge respect for Stuart Wilkie, Tata Steel UK Director, for his vision, and determination in delivering success whilst engaging with staff at every level. And I have full admiration for the young leaders currently working for me – they are a constant source of inspiration.
What is one word that sums up leadership for you?
Inspiration
Disclaimer: All details included in these leadership stories have been provided by the finalists themselves. All information has been accepted in good faith. Any references to individuals or circumstances have been relayed in the finalist’s own words and have not been verified by the Leading Wales Awards Directors or its Consortium. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and are not necessarily the views of the Leading Wales Awards Directors or Consortium members.