Page 8 - AWTX Internal Newsletter December 2018 UK

Nearly new starter: Richard Lightwood

Name: Richard Lightwood

Position: HR Director

Start date: 5th November 2018
3 words to describe Avery Weigh-Tronix:

Agile, Complex, Focussed

What does your job entail?

I look after HR and Health and Safety, though of course
to do these well it is very much a team effort, and
I’m talking about both the functional ‘experts’ and
the wider collaboration with leaders, managers, and
colleagues. I want to work closely with the leadership and
management teams, as I strongly believe good leadership Health and safety is crucial too – it’s important to have
is crucial to positive employee engagement, which in the right culture across the business underpinned by
turn contributes to bottom line business performance. effective systems, processes, tools and training. It sounds
Over time, I want to add value as the business continues simple, but it certainly isn’t, because our own attitudes
to adapt and change to meet the challenges ahead, so can get in the way. Thinking about the office, factory,
ask me again in 6 months! or service technicians active in Ireland, Scotland and
down to the south coast, I’d like to think everyone feels
empowered to operate safely and not put themselves at
How have you found your role so far? risk in the course of their work.
Very interesting. I think the HR team have been doing
a lot of good work, and I’ve enjoyed the introductory
meetings I’ve had with the management team. I’ve also Before working at Avery Weigh-Tronix, what’s the
been out in the field a couple of times with field service most interesting or unusual job you had?
technicians, which was great, and had tours of the Soho I was a divisional HR Director for a manufacturing and
factory and site, which gave me a real sense of the service business with production sites in the UK, Sweden
impressive history of Avery Weigh-Tronix. I’ve met many and USA, and sales and service operations in many
people who are extremely passionate about the company other countries. It was a huge challenge because it was
and want it to continue to do very well.
a new leadership team, and a new division undergoing
significant organisational change. Mind you, the summer
job I had in Cadbury’s a lifetime ago was pretty cool too,
What do you like the most about working at Avery supporting the maintenance team on the summer shut-
Weigh-Tronix? down!
The variety and challenge.
If you could swap your job with anyone in Avery

What’s the biggest challenge? Weigh-Tronix for a week, whose job would you want?
Avery Weigh-Tronix feels like quite a complex, fast-paced If I had the technical skills I would choose a field service
business and trying to absorb the volume of information, role, working on the front line, dealing with a wide
meet and have discussions with as many people as I variety of customers and challenges. Having worked in
can, while gradually getting up to speed with my own challenging service environments, I have great respect for
responsibilities is tough. As is the amount of systems we those guys at the sharp end of the business!
use and trying to remember multiple passwords!

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