James Walton of Sheldon Bosley, FirstPro 2015’s Property Professional of the Year says “go for it!”
“I was stunned when my name was read out on the night. Those around me seemed less surprised, which was very flattering,” he continued.
“Winning the award has been a real boost for me and the business. We’ve been able to use it in our marketing, with clients and prospects responding very positively.”
James, who’s motivated by a job well done and a happy client, puts his success down to professionalism, efficiency and expertise.
It’s this plus his commitment to the Coventry and Warwickshire area which set him apart.
Outside work he is a Director of the Warwickshire Rural Hub based at the NAC Stoneleigh and a member of the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership SME Business Group. He was appointed to the Midlands Regional Advisory Board of the NFU Mutual Insurance Society in 2013.
A registered RICS valuer, James is predominantly based in the Stratford-upon-Avon office of Sheldon Bosley. He works mainly in the areas of Land Agency and Agriculture, Estate Management, Planning and Valuation.
Coventry & Warwickshire First’s FirstPro recognises exceptional professionals in Coventry and Warwickshire, showcasing the depth and breadth of talent within the region. An award for individuals, each category celebrates the leading professional within the relevant sector.
Run by its members for its members, Coventry & Warwickshire First is the only forum in the region exclusively for professional and financial services firms.
“FirstPro is a great opportunity to celebrate the professional services talent that exists within our region,” said Andrew Smith, Partner of Shakespeare Martineau and Chair of Coventry & Warwickshire First. “Spanning employment law to advice on deals and transactions of all shapes and sizes, financial services, property consultancy and communication strategy, our members have the skills and expertise to support the economic development of our region. FirstPro recognises both their talent and contribution.”
Nominees are assessed against three criteria:
– Performance at work: the winners are more than simply good at their job. They consistently go ‘beyond the call of duty’, perhaps providing something extra to their clients or making time to support colleagues beyond what might be reasonably expected.
– Contribution to Coventry & Warwickshire: the winner is an individual who ‘puts something back’ into their local community, for example, working with a youth group in a challenging part of the region, volunteering with a local charity or serving as a school governor.
– X-factor: FirstPro winners have the all-important x-factor, the indescribable element that makes someone very special.
Nominations are now open for the following categories:
– Financial Professional
– Legal Professional
– Property Professional
– Business Services Professional
– Young Professional
Nomination forms are available now from the secretariat (admin@coventryfirst.co.uk).
The category winners and FirstPro 2016 will be announced at a glitzy awards ceremony to be held in April at the Ricoh Arena.
“In April this year Maria Thomas, Relationship Manager at Barclays Bank was named FirstPro 2015.”
What did it feel like to win FirstPro2015?
“It never occurred to me I would win so when my name was read out for my category it took me a moment to register. I was completely stunned when I was named the overall winner!
“The support from my colleagues at Barclays was incredible and completely unexpected. By 3am the morning after the Regional Director had emailed me saying how proud he was. His boss rang with congratulations the next day and I even received emails of congratulations from members of the Executive.
“Emails came in from people across the bank and one was from someone I had worked with 20 years ago saying ‘is it you’!”
Which attributes do you think are important in your job?
“You have to be honest and straightforward. I’m open with people and always explain the rationale for decisions. Empathy’s important too. I always aim to walk in my customer’s shoes; seeing things from their perspective can change the approach I take.”
What motives you in your work?
“I love fixing problems and getting it right for customers. I remember a particular customer who never agreed to a meeting, which worried me. One day I said I was passing and dropped in. I asked a few pertinent questions and then listened. He was soon telling me all his niggles and gripes about the bank. I left with a list of problems to fix then produced a plan of action with realistic deadlines. Crucially we then delivered and the relationship’s now great.”
Tell us about you career path.
“I started as an apprentice at Barclays 25 years ago. My first permanent job was in the machine room, tearing statements and putting them in envelopes. The advent of electronic banking means no one does anything like that any more but it really gave me a great understanding of the processes.
“After about a year I was allowed to issue account numbers from an account number book and shortly afterwards was trained to work on the counter. I did spend some time in head office but I missed the customers.
“I joined the corporate banking team about four years ago.”
What do you do outside work?
“I’m always up to something.
“I live in a village and am on the village hall committee. I’m involved in our local panto and raise money for a number of charities.
“As a result of Coventry & Warwickshire First event I’m now working with a number of other Coventry based charities to support with profile and fundraising.
“I’m also on the board of Coventry BID (Business Improvement District). We’re immersed in our plans for Christmas at the moment but we’re also working hard to re-generate the night-time economy in the city and give a voice to retailers.”
Business: Santander Corporate & Commercial Banking. Santander is one of the largest banking groups in the world by most measures, including the largest bank in the world by number of branches and offices. In the UK, it operates through 70 Corporate & Commercial Banking Centres.
What do you like about working at Santander?
It is great to be a part of our UK growth; our Corporate & Commercial Banking business started in the UK only in 2009. I joined the business soon after, and now we are a major and still growing presence in the UK.
What’s your specialism?
I work mainly with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), typically with a turnover between £2 million and £30 million. They are across a range of sectors although as you would expect, here in Coventry & Warwickshire, manufacturers and businesses trading internationally tend to dominate.
What do you do day-to-day?
I manage a portfolio of the Bank’s SME customers, and look to bring on other ambitious local businesses as customers. I help directors and shareholders achieve their goals by taking full advantage of the expertise and services a major international bank can offer.
What do you love about your job?
Every business is unique, with different goals, cultures, and specialisms. I love the variety and engaging with owners & directors to help them achieve their goals.
It is especially rewarding to work with a business over a longer period of time to support its international growth. Santander’s international Trade Missions, Masterclasses, and unique Trade Portal (www.santanderbreakthrough.co.uk) enable businesses to identify potential new markets and customers. To successfully work with a business to help them achieve a ‘Breakthrough goal’ (new products/premises/contracts and create new jobs etc.) is very satisfying.
What are your career highlights?
In a career of nearly 30 years, I am very lucky to have done a wide variety of roles supporting businesses of all sizes from some of the largest multi-national corporations through to start-ups and sole traders.
Working for many years in the City and Canary Wharf was a great experience, and now, working with SMEs in the West Midlands and Warwickshire is equally rewarding.
A few years ago, I was sponsored through an MBA course at Warwick Business School. This changed my outlook and I met some great people and made many good friends.
What’s great about doing business in Coventry and Warwickshire?
It’s a fantastic place to do business. The sub-region has strong growth prospects, driven by our excellent manufacturing base and heritage, two leading universities, first class transport links, an entrepreneurial ‘can-do’ business culture, and, not least, a great community of excellent professional advisors.
What would you say to someone setting out on their career?
Be yourself and show your personality, do not be frightened to ask, do not fear failure (we all learn from it), and have belief!
Explaining why she became a mentor in the spring this year, Debbie Harper, Area Director of HSBC Bank plc, talked of the way in which she had benefitted from mentoring relationships in her own career.
“I have been a mentee and still am! A really good mentor can provide an excellent sounding board. Benefitting from this myself I think it’s important to offer the same support to others.
“I’m currently a mentor within my own organisation and grabbed the opportunity to support others when Coventry & Warwickshire First launched the scheme.
“My mentee and I have met regularly and I hope I’ve been able to add some value. I think she appreciates talking to someone outside her organisation who has a different perspective.
“The mentoring relationship has also helped me. It’s made me think critically about my skills as a leader. To anyone thinking of becoming a mentor I would say it’s definitely worth making the commitment!”
Cheryll Rawbone, Chair of Arthur J Gallagher in Coventry, began mentoring a young PR professional in April. Speaking about our mentoring scheme she said: “Looking back I would have really appreciated the opportunity to have a sounding board in the early part of my career so it’s a pleasure to be able to do that for a young professional.
“This process empowers the young professionals involved. It helps them develop a structured career plan against which they can make progress.
“My mentee has benefitted from getting the perspective of an employer and seeing a reflection of the way they portray themselves but I’ve also learnt from hearing her perspective and giving her the space to try out her ideas.
“It’s an incredibly rewarding and interesting process.”
Andrew Smith is the new Chair of Coventry & Warwickshire First. We put him in the spotlight – read on to find out why he was on the radio when at school!
Role: Partner in the Stratford office of Shakespeare Martineau.
Formed in June 2015 through the merger of Shakespeares and SGH Martineau, Shakespeare Martineau is driven by a shared ambition. Combining exceptional legal expertise with deep industry knowledge the firm works alongside its clients to achieve their goals.
Who has inspired you and why?
Good question! In a work context it would be the first corporate partner I worked with when I was a trainee in London. We worked incredibly hard and he gave me plenty of responsibility; I learned a lot. And we could play pretty hard too!
What’s your role at Shakespeare Martineau?
I’m a corporate lawyer, so I deal with everything from company start-ups and fundraisings to mergers and acquisitions.
What do you love about your work?
The variety, the work itself and more importantly the wide variety of businesses and people I have met. I’ve worked with some big FTSE companies but I get a bigger buzz dealing with SMEs and family businesses where I know my advice can really make a difference.
Why did you get involved with Coventry & Warwickshire First?
I started working in Stratford about six years ago. I’d lived in the area but not worked here so didn’t know the business community. Through Coventry & Warwickshire First I’ve built a strong professional network and found at first hand the calibre of the region’s professionals. We don’t shout about this enough and in my year as Chair I want to make sure the quality of our sector is fully understood by the public and private sectors.
Can you tell us a little about your family?
I am married to fellow-Scot Judith and we have two boys, Angus (15) and Finlay (13). Judith juggles part time work at Warwick Hospital and a local GP practice with providing what seems like a full time taxi service for the boys. They are both keen rugby players; I was too at their age but unlike me they are both quite good.
Where’s your favourite holiday destination?
Can I cheat and have two? Spain for the sunshine, food and laid-back lifestyle. The Scottish Highlands to get away from it all – it’s peaceful and the scenery is stunning. But I don’t go for the weather!
What would surprise us about you?
I used to play the bassoon, which is quite unusual. When I was at school we had a bassoon trio, which is even more unusual. We were good enough to get on the radio though! The other members of the trio went on to become a professional cricketer and a professional snooker referee respectively!
“I joined the mentoring programme for two reasons; to improve my networking skills and get an independent perspective on how I can develop in my current role and build my career.
“I wanted a mentor I could discuss particular issues with, confident in their discretion and experience. I got exactly that and have found the whole process incredibly valuable; I’m already better at managing my workload and my networking has improved.
“A really good mentor is incredibly helpful; having someone who’s independent but understands what you’re talking about can really help you to progress!”
“Being a mentor, helping a young professional develop their skills, is very rewarding. As well as sharing my own insights and experience I’m also listening. This means I can really see things from my mentee’s perspective and am seeing things anew myself. Amongst other things I now have a far deeper understanding of life in a law firm, which will help me in my role as a relationship manager.
“My mentee is very fully engaged in the process and we’ve met regularly. This commitment means we have approached the process professionally and are both benefitting!”
James Oliver: Relationship Manager – Commercial, Yorkshire Bank
Andrew Smith, partner at Shakespeare Martineau and the incoming Chair of Coventry & Warwickshire First, has set out four principle objectives for his year in office.
– Talent development
– Building the voice of the professional
– Keeping members informed
– Growing the membership
Talent development
As the economy returns to healthy and sustainable growth so the professional services sector is also returning to growth. Attracting good talent in this competitive market is challenging, particularly in the face of the high salaries offered by Birmingham and London firms. Retaining our own talent is also a challenge in this context.
The mentoring programme has already proved successful in addressing this skills challenge. Paired with a leading professional, the region’s talented young individuals are able to accelerate their development.
My ambition is to build on this excellent platform and continue to develop the talent within our region, helping them achieve their career and life goals. This approach will support the growth of our own members and enable local business to access an increasingly broad range of capabilities on their doorstep.
Voice of the Professional
Earlier this year Coventry & Warwickshire First kicked off a consultation process designed to develop a detailed understanding of the issues facing members and their clients: Driving Economic Growth in Coventry & Warwickshire.
The consultation deepened our understanding of the issues and challenges in the local economy and the role and contribution of our members. We now need to project our voice and engage with key stakeholders in the region to advocate on behalf of our members and their clients. This will also involve boosting our profile in the local media.
Keeping members informed
Through a comprehensive programme of events Coventry & Warwickshire First members are kept informed of key initiatives within the region and given behind the scenes access to new developments and some of the region’s most high profile organisations and venues.
This programme will be sustained during my year, with a number of key events already planned. These include a quarterly breakfast titled ‘Leadership for Today and the Future’, a debate on the forthcoming EU referendum and First Friday events at Coventry Cathedral, the Council House in Coventry and the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Growing the membership
Under Martin Gibbs’ stewardship Coventry & Warwickshire First has been reinvigorated. The organization is clearly the voice of the professional, gives members valuable insights, and supports the development of relationships that grow business.
With the Coventry & Warwickshire First board as advocates, I intend to spread the word to professional services firms throughout the region and encourage them to join so they too can reap the rewards of membership.
I am delighted to be taking up the reins of Coventry & Warwickshire First and looking forward to building on the strong platform established by Martin Gibbs.
