5 Minutes with a BVAA Board Member

Published: 12th May 2020 | Issue 53

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Q1: What do you do for your own company?
Good question. I’m new to the sealing industry, so I’m still very much in the early stages of understanding the specifics of why our customers need sealing solutions (luckily for me, we have a seasoned technical team to fall back on). Our company delivers specialist sealing solutions to OEM customers within key manufacturing verticals O&G (upstream), Wind-Power, Aerospace, as well as MRO partners. As MD for our UK business, I’m part of a passionate team of circa thirty members, and my focus is ensuring all members of the team feel empowered and accountable while nurturing a culture of continuous personal development.

Q2: What do you do on the BVAA Board?
Heading into 2020, I’ll be working in two working groups along with some of the other board members, ‘GDPR and database (CRM)’ giving support to Rob Bartlett, and ‘Member Recruitment’ to support the continued growth of the BVAA Membership.

Q3: What was it that first drew you to the BVAA?
The BVAA Training Programme drove our decision to engage with the BVAA. Our customers need more than the supply of sealing products, and it’s therefore vital that our customer-facing teams are up-skilled with the fundamental principles of Valve & Actuators.

The gap between OEM expectation and supplier capabilities is a common problem across most manufacturing verticals. The suite of training courses from the BVAA is a substantial value add to help those suppliers looking to bridge the gap.

Q4: What was it that inspired you to join BVAA’s Board?
Following our acceptance to the association as a Supplier Member, it was the charm and charisma of Rob Bartlett, along with a promise of a free BVAA tie that led me to enquire about joining the BVAA board.

Q5: What would you say to someone thinking of joining the BVAA membership?
Be clear on the reasons for joining the BVAA, starting with ‘Why?’ Achieving a tangible return on the annual subscription requires all members (and potential members) to play an active part in moving the association, and industry, forward.

Q6: What do you think is the Association’s best service?
It’s hard to pick a facet of the BVAA as the “best service,” as the spectrum of services offered by the BVAA is an excellent membership package. However, it’s the combination of a considered membership and a passionate BVAA team that makes it an invaluable service to the industry.

Q7: Which service do you think members don’t use enough?
That’s hard for me to say as I’m new to the association and board. While the networking events I’ve attended are well represented in numbers, it’s often the same pool of companies.

I’ve had meaningful conversations with new contacts at every event to date, so I’d encourage companies to delegate representation outside of their senior teams if they cannot attend. What may be just another networking event to your senior team could turn out to be a fantastic learning and morale boost to members of the wider team.

Q8: Which service would you drop?
All BVAA services aim to best serve the associations members and are all fundamental.

Q9: What should the BVAA of the Future look like?
The BVAA should replicate the success of the last eighty years while embracing current, and preparing for future technologies to help OEM and Supplier members to work “better together” for whatever challenges lie ahead.

Data* is supposedly the most valuable commodity of modern times, the BVAA should help all members engage with and adapt accordingly to prosper in the future.

*The Economist, 6th May 2017

Telephone:	01295 221270
Email:	enquiry@bvaa.org.uk
Website:	www.bvaa.org.uk
	More information on the British Valve and Actuator Association BVAA Member Directory Page

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