Where are you from originally?
Rotherham, South Yorkshire.
What was your first job?
I left college and joined Dawsongroup for my first ‘proper’ job!
What job(s) did you have before joining DGTT?
I did some part-time waitering at a local hotel while at college.
When did you join DGTT?
July 2007 – and the rest is history!
What was your first job at DGTT?
I started as the Rental Controller at the Doncaster (formerly Sheffield) branch. Later, I had a Commercial Assistant role in Head Office in Milton Keynes working with the Senior Management team, and I then moved to our Leeds depot as Branch Sales Manager.
What’s your current job and what does it involve?
My current role is General Manager at Leeds. I oversee the site, plus our Ministry of Defence contract at Leconfield in East Yorkshire.
I manage nine members of staff, look after the Health &Safety, develop and nurture our customer base and look to grow new customers, build relations with suppliers and deal with anything else that crops up. I’m also very busy at the moment as we’re due to open our 24th branch in April. As everyone here says, every day is different at Dawsongroup!
What’s been the highlight of your time at DGTT?
I’m very happy with, and proud of, how my career has turned out so far. I just want to continue to push myself and progress. The promotions have been a highlight, but, if I had to pick just one, I would say it was the Ministry of Defence contract win in 2019.
Who or what has been the main influence in your career?
There have been a few. My first manager, John Dibb, was great for me. However, since he left, I’ve taken strengths and weaknesses from a variety of people, both in and out of work, to hopefully equip me with the right skillset.
All my friends went to university, but I came to the world of Dawsongroup! So, my aim has been to progress through the company as quickly as I can. Still a few more steps to go along the way!
What significant changes have you seen in the business during your time at DGTT?
I think the brand name/image has been the biggest change, especially over the last 6-7 years. We used to hide our light under a bushel and not tell people about our achievements or even what we did. We kept ourselves a mysterious secret! Now, people definitely know who we are, what we do and what we’re about – and, as time goes on, that brand message keeps getting stronger and stronger across the whole of Dawsongroup.
What do you do in your spare time?
I do a lot of fundraising for Sheffield Children’s Hospital, and have done for over 10 years. We’ve just recently passed our £100,000 target! If it’s not fundraising, it’s either watching the mighty Rotherham United or going for walks with my partner.
What’s on your bucket list?
I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do some massive bucket list items. For example, I climbed Kilimanjaro in 2019 for charity and we were due to venture to Japan before ‘the world locked down’ - so I think it’d still like to go there, for sure!
What’s your favourite film or film genre?
Comedy, easy going films. Sometimes, you just need to not think seriously about a film and just go along and laugh.
What annoys you in life?
People falling out with each other over very trivial/small things. Everyone’s got struggles and life can be hard. We all just need to be kinder and more understanding of other people!
What’s your biggest regret?
There are a few things I shouldn’t have done, or would have done on reflection… but I just think that equips you better for the next time a similar situation comes up! So, I wouldn’t say I have one biggest regret, just a few ‘learning curves for development’.