Clearview National December 2019 - Issue 217 | Page 14

PROUD SPONSOR OF
INDUSTRY NEWS
WOMENININDUSTRY
“I’m not here to make
tea or take notes”
GGF’s commercial businesses MD Anda Gregory is
this month’s star guest in ‘Women in Industry’…
What is your full name and current
company/position please?
Anda Gregory, Managing Director of the
GGF’s commercial businesses.
What are your main roles/
responsibilities?
I lead and oversee the five commercial
businesses of the GGF – FENSA, RISA,
GGFi, BFRC and Borough IT. As MD,
my primary responsibilities are setting and
enacting strategies for each business, overseeing
performance and the implementation of
improvements, and managing risk. I work
with the heads of each business to ensure we’re
offering an excellent service and providing
added value to our members and customers.
What is your history in terms
of career/education and how did
it lead to this current role?
I’ve had an unusual path into our industry,
but there have been various relevant aspects
along the way that serve me well now. For
example, I started out studying Chemistry
and have a Masters from Oxford University.
In one of my interviews for my place there,
I distinctly remember being quizzed on the
properties and constituent elements of glass
and how the characteristics would behave
differently on other planets. Don’t ask me to
answer that question now though – that was a
long time ago.
After uni, I trained as a Chartered
Accountant with KPMG, spending time in
Audit and mergers and acquisitions, before
moving to Which? to set up their Strategic
Development function and then moving into
general management. I was involved in the
set-up of Which? Trusted Traders, so there are
great parallels between that and what we do
at FENSA, promoting businesses which do
things properly while protecting and helping
consumers. I’ve also run businesses within a
private equity-backed professional services
group, which specialised in the construction
industry.
14 » DEC 2019 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
‘my perception is that it
was a boys club at times
but this has changed’
When the GGF Commercial MD role came
up, it looked really interesting and a great
opportunity – and that has definitely turned
out to be the case. One of the main reasons
is that the industry we work in is genuinely
fascinating and it’s great to work with and
meet so many passionate people who care
about what they do.
What do you think are the main
challenges that face modern
professional women in general?
I think my generation is lucky in that the
women that came before us did a lot of the
hard work around equality and proving that
they can do anything that a man can. I don’t
think that sexism or harassment is as rife as
it used to be, and I’ve personally largely been
lucky in that respect. I think the remaining
challenge is the assumptions people make
based on how you look (which affects many
people and minorities, not just women).
Sometimes I think you need to be more
impressive as a professional woman to be
listened to or taken as seriously as a man or
to be able to reach the top jobs, but that just
gives people like me more fire in our bellies.
What do you think are the
main challenges that face
women in fenestration?
I still go to a lot of male dominated
meetings and events, but I don’t find that
an issue. Occasionally it’s been assumed that
I am there to make the tea or take notes,
particularly as I look (relatively!) young still,
but people quickly get red faces when they
realise you’re the MD and have things to say
that are worth listening to. I know the same
has happened to other senior female colleagues
too.
Do you think fenestration is a
‘boys club’, please could you
explain why in either case?
As someone who has only been in the
industry for a couple of years, my perception
is that it was a boys club at times but this has
changed. I never feel unwelcome at events or
meetings because of my gender, or that I’m
taken less seriously (once the initial appearance
hurdle has been overcome), so I certainly
don’t feel that it’s a boys club nowadays. I
would love for there to be more diversity of
all types – that’s not for the sake of diversity