As a fifteen-year-old student, I had my life all mapped out. Eighteen and A Levels in the bag, I would start my military career, studying at arguably the best management school in the world; The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where after a yearlong training course, I would commission in to my chosen Regiment; The Parachute Regiment. I would then put these new-found skills into practice in the most trying of circumstances, managing and then leading men in preparation for Humanitarian Needs, Personal Development, and Combat. However, this wasnt to be and due to family circumstances, my business career started quite by accident.

Young, enthusiastic and extremely ambitious, I joined the Capital Machinery Sector in 2008 and gained a job with Ilapak, a large Manufacturer of Packaging Machinery.

My first sales role was concentrating on Business Development, building sales enquiries within neglected Industries and Areas, where I covered whole of the UK and Ireland.

Unfortunately, my career took an early knock and with the recession I was made redundant. I found another job shortly after with FAM Stumabo UK, who sell Industrial Cutting machinery that would often end up feeding the machinery that was sold at Ilapak. I took this as a great opportunity, as it would allow me to gain process knowledge, something that can impact line efficiency immensely. I worked at FAM for two years, developing from Sales Junior through to Area Sales Manager, managing accounts and orders ranging from £5,000 up to £120,000.00.

Ilapak contacted me about returning and I readily accepted. I progressed through the Ilapak Team, to a roll of Product Manager, overseeing a portfolio of Machinery within an area of the UK and Ireland, with orders ranging from £35,000 up to complete lines of more than £1 million.

My passion and ambition is fuelled by the constant requirement to better myself. This is emphasised by the fact I have enrolled on a Part time Business Management degree at Leeds University. I believe this will allow me to harness my business experience and then utilise the academic side of the degree to ensure I approach all scenarios with both experience and knowledge to guarantee the best outcome.

This drive and motivation has enabled me to accept position within one of the Largest Capital Machinery Groups in the world, Barry Wehmiller. I now manage all HFFS projects in the north of the UK and Ireland for their BW Flexible Systems division.