TEES TIME
In our regular feature , we find out what makes local business leaders tick .
Name :
John Reeves
Age : 57 Born : Edinburgh Lives : Teesside
Family : Partner Melissa , grown-up children Sally , Freddie and Ellie
Organisation & job title : Event Cup Solutions – director
Tell us about your upbringing : I was born right in the heart of Edinburgh . My dad was a soldier in the Highland Light Infantry based at Glencorse Barracks in Penicuik and Edinburgh was the nearest general hospital . On leaving the army , Mum and Dad settled in Dennyloanhead , which is a wee village near Falkirk . I went to school locally ; I was never academic and couldn ’ t wait to leave …
Tell us about your first job : I ended up back in Edinburgh working in a sports shop in Rose Street called Graham Tiso . It was a great experience of meeting new people and giving me a flavour of what life was like outside the area where I lived . Travelling in and out every day by train was at first exciting but ended up being a challenge and expensive !
How different has your career been from how you imagined it at 21 ? Very different . At 21 I didn ’ t really have the feeling or need to “ do my own thing ”. Instead , I wanted something that provided a good income , was interesting and challenged me . I never really knew what I wanted to do , instead I kept plugging away until I landed at Scottish & Newcastle Sales , which was my first proper commercial role . After 10 years at S & N I left a very safe haven to set up my first venture and it ’ s been an exciting journey ever since
What one piece of advice would you pass on to those starting out in business ? Set your plan out and try to remain on course to meet all the goals in your plan . Be prepared for bumps in the road but don ’ t let those bumps get you down or derail you from your plan . Instead learn from them and put those learnings to use .
Which part of your job do you most enjoy ? Working with a brilliant team within our business and with our customers ’ teams . We are very lucky to work at some of the UK ’ s most iconic sports and music venues . What ’ s really pleasing is that the teams on site at these locations are as enthusiastic as we are about their business . I also love that we are doing something positive for the environment and the communities within which we work .
Which part of your job do you least enjoy ? Early trains to London and driving back from Birmingham . Both of these are regular necessities and I rarely enjoy them .
Do you ever doubt yourself as a business leader ? Self-doubt can be a good thing . In my opinion it keeps your feet on the ground and allows you to continually check your own performance levels to ensure you are setting a great example to those around you and leading by example .
How do you switch off from work ? I used to love travelling to Scotland to watch Rangers to switch off from work ... now I go to work to switch off from Rangers !
Why does your business matter ? It matters because we supply a truly sustainable solution which is kinder to the planet and provides a significantly better guest experience in the hospitality sector . It also matters because we support local businesses by purchasing as much as we can locally and supporting the local economy . I wish more would follow this lead .
Which of your personal traits has been the most important in your career ? I like to think I am a genuine person who views life and people in a positive way . I believe in taking chances and following my gut instinct , but I suppose my work ethic has been my biggest asset .
Which of your own personal traits most frustrates you ? Impatience .
Which trait in others do you most dislike ? Rudeness and selfishness . I was brought up to respect others and be polite . I don ’ t understand why simple things like please , thank you and sorry can be an issue to some people .
If you were to recommend just one book to Tees Business readers , which would it be ? Blue Ocean Strategy by W Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne is a book I have read many times . It has taught me how to look at markets , customers and competitors in a different way . It certainly gets you thinking differently .
What ’ s your favourite local restaurant and why ? We like the Devonport in Middleton One Row for Sunday lunch and Crathorne Arms for the best steak on Teesside .
What social media do you use ? I ’ m not a huge user , mainly LinkedIn from a professional point of view and Facebook to keep up with what the family and friends are up to .
Which local business leader would you like to see interviewed in this feature ? To be honest , I am not too familiar with other business leaders in Teesside – unfortunately , most of our customer base is outside the area . Our biggest supplier of cups is in Eaglescliffe , so I will nominate Paul Lawrence from Tees Valley Plastics .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 47