Nigel runs the Birch ship alongside Andrea. Find out more about Nigel’s day to day…
What are the responsibilities of being an MD at Birch?
As the MD at Birch, I have ultimate responsibility for the direction of the business. Everything from the team, to processes, to the location, and the finances, is all shaped by the decisions that fall at the MD’s door.
What does a typical day look like as MD?
Well, a typical day can cover quite a lot to be honest. From the sublime to the ridiculous. So, for example, this week I’ve had the 2020 year-end accounts to sign off, major customer contracts to finalise, ongoing development discussions around our e-commerce offering, nesting birds in the roof, blocked drains and an upgrade to factory lights all on the agenda. Never a dull moment! (well the drains were! – Thank you Dynorod!)
What are the benefits and challenges of the role?
Being the MD is a bit of a double-edged sword. There are great parts to it, however there can also be dire consequences if you get the calls wrong. The knock-on effect of that doesn’t just affect you but can have repercussions on the team too.
I love it when we work well. When our communication is in sync and we work well as a team. When our ideas bring great results. When our customers are delighted, and when a team member excels (particularly, when they weren’t sure they could).
Did you always want to work in business?
Not at all. When I left school I got a job at a bank and thought that would be my job for life, but it just wasn’t right for me. I loved the people and learned a lot but as it turned out, it wasn’t a job for life at all – the bank I worked for was taken over by an Australian bank and many jobs over the years have been made redundant.
If you hadn’t taken over the business from your Dad what would you have liked to have done?
I enjoy the accounting side of the business. When I was considering leaving the bank and before I joined the family business, I did consider accountancy, but the variety of owning and running your own business were far more attractive.
One thing I’d love to do is renovate old houses. I’ve had two houses that were both 100 years old or more, and I do get a great deal of satisfaction restoring or renovating the space to create contemporary spaces with traditional features. Maybe when I retire…
What do you most enjoy about your job?
I like the variety. We get involved in some fantastic projects for our customers and being able to respond to these and having a team that are flexible enough to adapt to varying demands is great. I enjoy encouraging people to push themselves to be the best they can be.
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