How did you start your property journey?

I grew up in a mining town in South Wales, which was very heavy industry. A lot of engineering was associated as far as the infrastructure with the pits was concerned.  I sort of gained an interest in engineering from a very young age on that basis. As a result of that, I decided to study structural engineering at Bath University, and then I took my career into the business environment and started working in 1994 for a city-based structural engineering business in London. It was a very technical business working on a lot of central London listed buildings like The Great Eastern Hotel, The National Gallery, and The Royal Institution. So a very varied way to start your career in property.

How would you describe the work culture at Iesis?

I think it’s a very collaborative approach to the business. It’s been 14 years since I set up the business and we’ve seen the team change many, many times over that period, I would say the team now has been established for a number of years, is a very good retention rate for any business. I think that’s sort of fundamentally driven by the great work and atmosphere in the offices. People get on, I think there’s a lot of interaction, both on a professional and social basis, which is very important, actually. So I’d say the team we’ve got is as good as any team I’ve been involved with in my career, both from a sporting perspective and also from a business perspective.

What sort of characteristics do you look for in employees?

Loyalty ranks up there than anything else, obviously, I take it for granted that someone’s technically competent, if they are applying for the job that comes with necessary qualifications. But as a business owner, loyalty is paramount as far as growing a successful company is concerned, I’m pleased to say, from a senior level, there’s a huge number of loyal people I deal with on a day to day basis, which have been fundamental in growing the business overall and growing it in many different areas.

What do you love doing outside of work?

I think as far as work is concerned, for someone in my position that work tends to be all-encompassing. You sort of fit your life around the office to a certain extent. Outside of work, I do enjoy keeping fit, I try and do some exercise a few times a week, whether that be cycling, or walking which I’ve seemed to have done more over the last two years, for obvious reasons. I enjoy watching rugby, I particularly like watching Bath when they’re winning, I do also enjoy the odd social occasion. The time I do get available outside of running the company, the high level, it’s they tend to be the activities that come to the forefront.

What advice would you give to someone interested in getting in the construction and property industry?

Fundamentally, I think it’s qualifications, you know, you have to have qualifications at eye level, in the business now, probably slightly different to when I started in ’94, it is essential that you get as best qualifications as you can, and focus on those qualifications right through to the professional level. I think that’s the starting point to anybody’s career is to get that under your belt. I think as far as anything else is concerned, knowledge is key in any scenario and accumulate as much knowledge as you can in as many different areas as you can. They tend to be those people that tend to get the sort of wide knowledge do tend to be the best employees if you like and it’s where you want to get to with your career. So my advice to anybody would get as broad knowledge as you can do for the industry, and don’t try to specialize too early.