roy smith - career change of choice - iema
TRANSCRIPT
Transforming the World to Sustainability
CAREER CHANGE OF CHOICE – ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
From Chief Draughtsman to Quality & Environmental Manager
Roy Smith, Quality & Environmental Manager at Park House Healthcare Ltd
“I get great satisfaction from my job. Seeing the enthusiasm and
commitment of the Directors and employees is very gratifying. I would
not want to leave this area as I find it extremely rewarding. The future
looks very exciting!”
After realising how prevalent environmental issues were becoming Roy
made the switch from being Chief Draughtsman to Quality and
Environmental Manager securing ongoing significant environmental and
financial savings, and awards.
From a young age Roy always wanted to become a product designer and
after working for a few small companies he decided to return to higher
education and study for a Higher National Diploma in Engineering. After
specialising in ‘Refrigeration and Air Conditioning’ in his HND, he found a
role as a Draughtsman at IMI Air Conditioning Ltd. While there he began to
progress his way through the company eventually becoming Chief
Draughtsman. After realising how prevalent environmental issues were
becoming within business he became more interested in the environment and saw this as an excellent career
opportunity. He persuaded the company to improve its performance on environment and sustainability, which led
to the implementation of ISO14001. He began to re-train as an environmentalist by attending an ECUS course at the
University of Sheffield on environmental management systems.
Career opportunities grew with the company
IMI Air Conditioning was sold to Marstair Ltd.; the company were extremely keen to improve their environmental
performance and fully backed Roy’s career progression. He was made Compliance Manager after setting out the
business case for increased sustainability. The new role meant he was responsible for implementing an ISO 14001
compliant Environmental Management System (EMS) and environmental programmes to increase environmental
awareness within the business. To assist in his career development he completed the IEMA Certification in
Environmental Management and consequently became an Associate Member of IEMA. Already having an excellent
understanding of the product designs and quality management made it easier for him to highlight areas for design
improvement and where sustainable environmental performance improvements could be made within the
manufacturing area. In 2005 the company won an award from Envirowise in the ‘Big Splash Campaign’ for reducing
water usage by over 7%.
Currently he is the Quality & Environmental Manager at Park House Healthcare Ltd.; a manufacturer and supplier of
specialist pressure area care equipment, hospital beds and moving & handling equipment to the NHS, Acute
Community and Nursing Home Sectors. This was an unfamiliar industry that posed new environmental challenges
with lots of opportunities.
Proving the business case for environmental achievements
Throughout his environmental career Roy has systematically identified and achieved environmental and financial
savings year on year for the companies he has worked with. One of the most significant was the introduction of
waste management and segregation which reduced waste by 60% saving the company £11,000. Whilst at Park
House Healthcare Ltd he implemented methods that saved the company £11,500, reducing the vehicle fleet’s
emissions by 3.5% from 2013 to 2014. He also implemented a change to low energy lighting to reduce their
electricity usage by over 14% and is currently working with suppliers to implement packaging improvements
Improving environmental impact and achieving savings didn’t stop there for Roy. At his current employer, Park
House Healthcare Ltd, he was determined to improve sustainability and integrate awareness into their business
practice. Roy’s determination ‘paid off’ in 2012 when they achieved ISO14001 certification. The following year Park
House Healthcare Ltd. won the Environment, Health & Social Care Business of the Year Award at the local Bradford
Means Business Awards and in 2014 won the Energy Savings Trust’s Fleet Hero award in the Eco Driving category.
With success and awards accumulating, Roy still continues to have the same results driven attitude towards his
work. To him, the best part of his job is the great satisfaction in seeing the enthusiasm and commitment of the
Directors and employees. Roy emphasises how he is results driven and wants to progress his career with further
environmental achievements. His next objective is to increase the involvement within the local community on
environmental projects. Having spent his whole career involved in manufacture and design, he can’t imagine leaving
this area as it is extremely rewarding. The future looks very exciting!
Top tips for career switchers
Roy strongly emphasised the importance of networking, having attended a number of IEMA events, to gain useful
contacts and advice from other environmental professionals in the industry. In the environment and sustainability
sector, the importance of communication skills and certified training, such as the IEMA approved Certification in
Environmental Management, are paramount; they are the key to Roy’s success.
Case study contact details not for publication
Roy Smith: [email protected], 0845 344 2637 / 07912 467170 Not for publishing
PR contact details
Kate Hinton: [email protected], 07714708416
Caroline Randle: [email protected], 07796140461