The Business Exchange Bath & Somerset Issue 7: Spring 2018 | Page 11

It’s the people....
by Dick Jenkins, Chief Executive of Bath Building Society
As I approach retirement
(I know, I know, I’m far too young…!)
I have been thinking on what advice I would have
liked to have had as I started out on my career.
Completely lacking any useful career advice, I went into
business almost on sufferance because I didn’t know what
else to do and it seemed the best of a bad job. I knew
that I didn’t want to be a teacher; because that’s what my
parents did, but I really didn’t have a clue. At that point, I
would have been greatly reassured if somebody had told
me that business is FUN, which at age 21 seemed to be the
most important thing in life! Running a Building Society
is hardly a white-knuckle ride in comparison with other
things, but believe me it’s had its moments of drama over
the years and I have genuinely had fun.
I also wish that early on somebody had a