As Director of The Rosslyn Chapel Trust since it was formed in 1995 until 2006 I progressed the Visitor Centre facilities and the £13m Conservation Project at Rosslyn Chapel to the stage where, funding approval having been granted, there will now be around two years before any significant progress can be seen.
I have decided therefore to seek more immediate challenges in an area sadly overlooked by many attraction owners and managers.
I am passionate about Customer Service delivery and my Consultancy will deal primarily with this area. I recognise both the importance of service provision and how far short of excellent it is.
I am confident that the experience that I have gained over the last 11 years as Director at Rosslyn Chapel, along with over 20 years in Management prior to that, will enable me to help ensure that attractions of all sizes can offer the level of excellence expected by today's sophisicated visitor.
The last eleven years have seen me manage and grow a business of world renown from scratch, indeed from a position of debt to leaving the Trust with a healthy seven-figure bank balance. Team-building within my staff resource, developing effective systems, establishing and managing budgets and associated control processes, have all been an integral part of my everyday life. An essential feature of my Business Plans was always to create sufficient flexibility to accommodate and adapt to a changing market place, and the creation of a strong team that delivered effectively across the range of duties. This has been critical to the success of the growing organisation and its ability to respond to customer expectation.
Over the years I have forged, and enjoyed making, sound and valuable relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. I established firm relationships with both funding and statutory partners like Historic Scotland and The Heritage Lottery, Local and National Government officials and Elected Members as well as the many professionals involved both at Rosslyn and in a wider Scottish dimension. Handling the media has always been a fun and challenging experience. I have enjoyed the opportunity to get a message across without pandering to the media’s frenzy for sensationalism. This has been a most rewarding personal element of my role as Director at Rosslyn Chapel.
Above all of this though is the reason we do the job - we want our guests to enjoy, and get the most from their visit. We want them to tell their friends. We want them to remain part of our "family" so we can enjoy their support or return visits over the years. Our guests are not just a part of the process, they are the process.
I know we would all like to say our working life is all we have, but outside the office I have a wife of over 33 years and three great children. I play to a fifteen handicap, walk our aging dog and enjoy the cinema. I take my family, and all I do, very seriously, after all, otherwise its not worth doing it!
