Q. What does your role involve?

I head up the Marketing Department and work closely with the Directors and Senior Management team to develop ideas and activities to raise the profile of AJN and promote the expertise within the business.

As part of my role I’m responsible for the company’s website and social media platforms, management of key sponsorships and charitable support activities, external advertising and media relations, sales support, and importantly, internal communications and the management of the AJN brand and identity.

Q. How long have you worked at AJN and why did you choose to work here?

I’ve been in this role for the past two years but I’ve worked with the company in a previous role for about seven or eight years in total.

AJN, without a doubt, can benefit from all of the marketing disciplines available but what I like is that I can apply them here in their truest form with the simple aim of making sure there is a benefit to the business – without all the pretentious nonsense that, sadly, can be linked with marketing.

Success here is judged on continuous growth and expansion of the business, not the awards or accolades a particular campaign receives. To me, that’s marketing at its best.

Q. What do you best like about your job?

The variety and the challenges. There are tried and tested strategies and communications methods that can be followed in all marketing activities. Within them though, it’s pretty much a blank page in terms of how you go about trying to achieve them, so there’s plenty of variety in what we do.

Q. What challenges do you come up against in your role and how do you handle them?

One of the biggest challenges I face is making sure our customers are fully aware of everything we do and offer, and that staff are kept up-to-date on what’s going on at AJN and our plans for the future.

We have a very strong and loyal customer base, but I’ve learnt that some long-standing customers still only use us for certain things. They might, for example, buy steel from us but then send it out to someone else to be cut or drilled. Our processing capabilities play a big part in our communications activities so it bothers me if a customer says they never knew we did this or offered that.

Q. Looking at the company today compared to when you started, what do you think has changed the most and has it changed for the better?

I think the biggest change has been the size and growth of the company. Ten years ago, around 100 people worked at AJN. Our current head count stands at 429 and we’ve seen a 24% uplift in numbers over the past five years.

Despite the rapid growth though, the company still retains its grounded, all inclusive, family bond, which is pretty rare considering its size and set-up.

Q. What’s your best memory or biggest achievement during your time at AJN?

Seeing AJN in the media is always rewarding, whether that’s a company profile in a key business magazine or TV coverage via one of our sponsorship partnerships.  Communicating some of the charitable support activities we’re involved in and seeing the engagement and interaction with our audience, however, creates and immense sense of pride.

Q. What did you do before life at AJN?

I was a partner at a B2B PR and Marketing agency, working with AJN as one of our clients!

Q. What do you do in your spare time – any hobbies, interests?

Despite the aches, pains and recurring injuries, I’m refusing to hang up my boots and play football a couple of times a week. I enjoy most sports and love being outdoors – biking, kayaking, fishing – and spending time with the family.