FEATURE
New recruit - Andy Fay .
Moving on up
WORDS : JULIE BURNISTON PICTURE : STUART BOLTON
Latest EMS signing is ready to take the company to new heights
Enterprise Made Simple ( EMS ) has welcomed a new special projects manager to the fold .
Andy Fay , a former business consultant at Tees Valley Combined Authority , joins the Middlesbrough-based company at a time when the potential to open up new opportunities on Teesside is huge , thanks to , among other things , our freeport status and Treasury jobs heading to the region . Established in 2008 with the goal of making enterprise , starting a business and growing a business as simple as possible , EMS innovates and delivers its work in a simple , straightforward manner to help developing businesses and business owners start , grow and succeed .
“ I ’ m really excited to be in a position to take EMS to the next level ,” said Andy .
“ As special projects manager , it ’ s down to me to maximise the company ’ s current contracts and ensure swift delivery of them .
“ I ’ m also looking to establish a communications office , bring in more contracts and handle the £ 9m worth of contracts the company currently has , spread across the business , support and training teams .”
Andy will work alongside eight business advisors and managers , four staff in the training team and ten spread across other roles and will also work with CEO
Phil Teasdale – bringing full circle a professional relationship of almost 20 years standing .
“ I ’ ve known Phil since 2003 and when he asked me on board , I jumped at the chance ,” said Andy .
“ It ’ s great to have free reign to establish the company and take it further . I love the autonomy and the entrepreneurial spirit of EMS – it ’ s such a diverse company .” Andy ’ s aim is to take EMS national . “ In the first 12 months I want to establish a larger commercial arm ,” he says . “ A fully functioning commercial division to provide 360 solutions for business .
“ Beyond that , I want to see more coverage – and not just in Teesside . Going national is well within the grip of EMS - in fact , we ’ re almost there .”
There ’ s huge excitement in Middlesbrough and it ’ s been named one of the top three places to start a business and to invest in the country . “ It ’ s a fantastic region ,” agrees Andy . “ I ’ m a Yorkshireman , born and bred , but I ’ ve worked in Teesside for more than 20 years , so I know from experience that it ’ s a fantastic place for support , for infrastructure , and in certain sectors it ’ s ground-breaking .”
For Phil , Andy ’ s appointment is a chance for him to share the burden of leadership . “ Over the last 18 months we at EMS have seen unprecedented growth , and this has mirrored the experiences of many of the businesses we work with ,” he said .
“ This journey has resulted in us putting into practice some of the lessons that we teach other businesses – it ’ s always difficult to take your own advice .
“ As CEO , one of the things I have found most difficult about this growth is not being able to deliver everything and have a hand in everything myself .
“ I have realised over the last six months that for us to carry on this journey and make the impact we would like to , we need specific help and , more importantly , to surround ourselves with those who share our vision .
“ When thinking about the special projects role , I knew it would take a particular kind of person with a particular skill set to make it work and to make the sort of impact we were hoping for .
“ Hiring Andy was a no-brainer . Not only is he personable and likeable , but he has really fantastic and detailed knowledge in terms of business growth , the business support arena and , most importantly , putting together really impactful and robust projects .
“ I ’ m so happy to welcome Andy to the team and I can ’ t wait to watch his achievements take shape .”
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26 | Tees Business