Meet Paul

What does your role at LAKE involve?

As a member of the LAKE Service Desk team, I’m looking after customers and making sure that they are always getting great service by resolving their problems in accordance with SLA’s.

How long have you been with LAKE and what did you do before you joined?

I have been with LAKE since Oct 2016. Before that, I worked for a client of LAKE for several years in a mixed role biased towards system and process development, and SunSystems administration.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do?

Since first starting to work with LAKE in 2007, I have learned a great deal about SunSystems and the other systems that we support Being able to apply that knowledge and help customers resolve their problems gives me a great deal of satisfaction.

If you had to pick out three achievements or pieces of work that you’re particularly proud of from your time at LAKE, what would they be?

The first would have to be being accepted for a role at LAKE and integrating well with the LAKE ethos. LAKE has very high standards, so this was an achievement in itself.

Working as part of a team of consultants, we often call on each other’s help, so it’s important that we not only interact well to resolve client problems, but also integrate into the team at a personal level. Building relationships with our colleagues and clients is very important at LAKE, and I feel I have managed to do this well.

The nature of my role is varied, and it’s difficult to pick-out a single piece of work. However, encountering new challenges on an almost daily basis and delivering time-critical solutions to clients is something I am proud of.

What does your background, experience and knowledge mean for customers?

My career started out in mining engineering. Initially, I worked in British coal and gypsum mines. Later, I found myself working for UK OEM’s selling into the USA. As a mining engineer, you need a logical and analytical mind, and I was very good at what I did, particularly in the complex field of fluid power. On top of that, I was thrust into managing all aspects of the USA business. It wasn’t an easy time, but with perseverance, I made a success of the business before returning to the UK in 2000.

In 2007, I was approached by a specialist recruitment agency with a view to assisting a LAKE client to implement the SunSystems fixed asset register. I knew nothing of SunSystems, but I did understand data. The project was a success and I stayed and ultimately became their Systems Accountant. The transference of skills from engineering and running the USA business to accountancy and being a LAKE Service Desk Consultant, means I can appreciate the pressures imposed on LAKE clients in all aspects of their business.

What excites you most when you think about LAKE’s future plans and the future of business systems in general?

The fact that LAKE never stands still. We are constantly reviewing emerging technologies and offering these opportunities to our clients, to help them stay ahead in the marketplaces they serve.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I have a Jeep Wrangler, a hardcore off-road vehicle, and I love modifying my Jeep and getting to places most people never see. I’m also keen on photography and website development, and these activities take up most of my spare time.

What is one item on your bucket list?

I would love to tour the deserts and mountains of places like Utah and Colorado in a Jeep. I know Utah well but not so much Colorado. The problem is, such a trip takes a lot of planning. Maybe one day!

What would your specialist Mastermind subject be?

The Jeep Wrangler.