Clearview National March 2018 - Issue 196 | Page 30

DIRECTOROFTHEMONTH
Tidy desk,
tidy mind
Apeer’s Asa McGillian talks
about being organised,
the pay-off for hard
graft on the trade show
circuit – and Elon Musk.
1. NAME/JOB TITLE:
Asa McGillian, Managing Director, Apeer
Doors/Lumi Windows
2. WHEN DID YOU JOIN (OR
START) THE COMPANY?
Apeer was set up by my father in 1995.
I joined the company in 1996 and started
out on the factory floor pressing PVCu door
panels. I did this for several years before
moving in to other areas of the company, but
it gave me the vital first-hand experience in
production that set me on the path to my
current role.
3. DESCRIBE YOUR WORKING DAY
I’m a self-starter and early riser. I have
a spin bike and kettlebells in a small gym
in my house and always do a 7am HIIT
workout. That sets me up for the day. Once
I’m in the office it’s a mixture of emails,
meetings, and working on new projects.
I also like to check in on the factory floor
from time to time so I can be aware of any
potential issues. I’m usually home by 7
PM.
4. WHAT IS YOUR
WORKSPACE LIKE?
I’m a very organised person and now
have three offices, one in each of our three
factories. All of them are kept pristine – tidy
desk, tidy mind.
5. FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN
YOU GET TO YOUR DESK?
Like most people, the first thing I do
is check my emails. I especially look for
customer issues to see how we can improve
our current service. I also look for these
improvement opportunities at our daily
quality meetings.
30 » M AR 2018 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M
6. WHAT WEBSITES HELP YOU?
It’s so important to be on top of current
affairs and the changes that could, at any time,
affect the industry and your business – I’m
always using Google News, CNN and BBC
sites.
7. MOST USEFUL BUSINESS
TOOL? (SAT NAV/APPS ETC)
It has to be my i-phone. Being able to access
Outlook on the go is key because I’m always
moving between our three factories and it
means I don’t have to be chained to my desk
to get things done.
8. BEST BUSINESS DECISION
IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE?
Developing the frameless Lumi Window
System which launched in 2015, closely
followed by the commitment we made
to promote Lumi at numerous trade and
consumer shows. Our team have completed
no less than 25 in the two years since the
launch.
The shows have been instrumental in the
growing success of the brand as the appeal
of Lumi can’t always be fully communicated
through a brochure or a website - many
need to see and feel the product in the flesh
to be able to fully appreciate it. The wealth
of feedback we got from interacting with
customers has also been invaluable and
directly informed how the range has evolved
and grown since.
Not only has this helped to drive up sales,
but it continues to bring us new customers
and interesting commercial opportunities.
9. FAVOURITE ROLE
MODELS AND WHY?
I find Elon Musk an interesting character.
He’s a man that is always pushing boundaries
and challenging the natural order of things.
He has gone in and disrupted a number
of different industries, but great things
have always resulted from those periods of
change.
10. HOW DO YOU UNWIND?
Being a hands-on dad, I tend to spend
much of my down time with my family, but
when I do have a day on my own I enjoy
getting outdoors and fell running throughout
the mountainous regions of Ireland. I took up
fell running ten years ago and still try to get
out a couple of times a month if I can.