Welcome Robyn Cattermole Our New Head Of Field Operations
This week at SES Home Services, we have welcomed Robyn Cattermole as our new Head of Operations, and we’re really pleased to have her join us as a valued member of our team. Robyn will be responsible for 50+ engineers and operations staff.
We thought it would be good to catch up with Robyn after her first full week at SES Home Services to find out more about how it has gone and what she is most looking forward to over the coming months.
Why did you want to work for SES Home Services?
I honestly wasn’t looking to move roles. I was approached based on my career profile on LinkedIn, it just shows how important it is to keep it up to date and stay visible! Once I learned more about the company, its plans and what the role would entail, I knew immediately that it was definitely something I wanted to be a part of.
What did you do before coming to SES Home Services?
I’ve been in and around the water industry for a few years, with Thames Water and then also with Kier on their Thames Water contract. Most recently, I was performance lead for Water Networks. Prior to that, I was a store manager at Sainsbury’s and opened several new convenience format stores in West London.
What attracted you to working in the water and engineering industry?
I’ve worked in the industry for a number of years. I joined because I had a science background and was lucky enough to be accepted onto the graduate scheme with Anglian Water. I realised I loved the industry, and I haven’t looked back. I know traditionally, it is a male-dominated industry but it’s great to see more and more women coming into the industry and taking on roles such as plumbers and engineers. I was pleased to find out that when I started at SES Home Services we have two female engineer apprentices on the team, and I am keen to encourage more females to join the industry!
How has your first week been?
It’s been brilliant! I’ve met lots of people, been in a few meetings and understood what was spoken about… that always helps. I’ve completed some training and even had some time to go out and meet some of the team in the field. It’s been a shock to the system commuting every day, as post-Covid and homeworking an hour travelling in the car seems a long time, but the team are lovely and the warm welcome has made it all so worthwhile.
What have you enjoyed the most?
The best bit about my first week definitely has to be visiting the engineers whilst they’ve been out working in customers’ homes. It’s been a great opportunity to hear first-hand from both engineers and customers what’s going well, what the challenges are and what we can do to overcome these challenges. I’ve heard some great ideas and can’t wait to start working out how we can start implementing some of these!
What are you most excited about doing next?
I can’t wait to start getting to know the team on both a personal and work level. Building those relationships within the team and seeing how good we can get and how high we can raise the bar! As Richard Branson says ‘Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your business.’ As a customer-focused business ensuring our engineers continue to provide the best quality service to our customers is important to us.
What challenges do you think you will face?
I can see so much potential, SES Home Services is a great business full of great people, and I can’t wait to start bringing in new ideas. But I also know how passionate and enthusiastic I am, so I’ll have to make sure I’m not in danger of trying to do too many things at once. I think it’s important to ensure my team and stakeholders are fully engaged and consulted throughout any changes and are part of the decision-making process, to ensure everyone understands. The best ideas always come through a collaborative approach; if we can achieve that, we will be on our way to great things!
