Hear from John on how over the course of twenty years at Computershare he went from Mailing Machine Operator to his role today as Regional Director of Operations.
John started in our Communication Services business "As Computershare was just around the corner from my parents' house, I joined in 2003 in an entry level role, putting paper into envelopes." and his hard work helped him to quickly progress to Shift Manager and then onto an Account Manager.
Always aware of the wider Computershare business, in 2009, John’s drive to develop his career further led to him applying for a new role in our Employee Share Plans business. "At Computershare we interact with a lot of people from different business lines. When I saw that there was an opportunity for an Account Manager, I made the big jump and went into my second business line".
John concentrated on the analytical side of our Employee Share Plans business during the course of his subsequent four roles, following his love for improving projects and guiding the ship to get there. Computershare is an organisation that embraces change, there are always new opportunities to challenge yourself or learn new skills. John always seized his chance to take on new initiatives and challenges, helping him to rapidly progress his career.
"I really enjoyed having the opportunity to be able to share my thoughts, be open with management and give suggestions. Computershare helps you challenge yourself and it lets you stumble along the way if you need to, as long as you're doing the right things and going the right way. We are also very trusting that if you’ve got the job, then you’re trusted to do the job".
Fast forward 20 years and John is now the Regional Director of Operations for our Employee Share Plans business in EMEA. "Now I’m using the skills that I've learned along the way in delivering core operations, integrating people, being consistent with processes, reengineering processes and upgrading our technology, just on a slightly bigger scale".
What’s your advice to people looking to progress their career?
"I've never been the sort of person to map out my career, and I never went to college or university. I have a keen interest in why things happen the way they do and help the business by understanding what they are, basically moving the business forward. I wanted to progress, push, and challenge myself as much as possible.
There are lots of people, myself included, who love talking to and supporting people. You can invest in yourself by honing your skills either by presenting something that you've seen or explaining your work to someone outside of your business line. That way, you build a reputation and a network, and next time when there is a new project, someone might think of you as the right person to do the job.
So, be confident, reach out and use the culture here to your advantage. Everybody wants to help you progress. If you’re good at what you do, clear on what you want to be and what you want to achieve, you'll get the help you need".
What’s your approach on mentoring?
"I mentor about four or five people now, and if I can't take on another person to mentor, what I always recommend to them is to go and mentor someone. There'll be people just coming into the working environment, whether it’s someone who's all of a sudden is coming into this because circumstances changed or just out of a school, so go and offer your help to them.
It's rough the first time you do it, you're nervous, but the benefit you get from it is huge and you actually learn a lot more about yourself and all of a sudden you begin taking your own advice".
John’s key take-aways from his career journey:
Understand the desired outcomes. Acknowledge what people expect from you and measure success of your work
Live by a challenge and be challenged. You should feel confident to challenge everybody but also feel comfortable that you're going to be challenged.
Tell the story, lead to a recommendation. Help people understand by going through your thought process.
Lead by values, not execution. Our purple values at Computershare have helped me progress and move the business forward.
Find your high five moments, have confidence in your own ability and maintain your integrity. Celebrate your successes, recognise your worth and stay true to yourself.
Focus on emotional intelligence. As a people leader, I’m always trying to use it to help people and myself along the way.
At Computershare, we encourage our employees to stretch themselves, float new ideas and take on new challenges.