Then and now... Andy Turner

In the latest instalment of Bdaily's Then and now series, Andy Turner, operations director at Normanton-based motor and gear unit maker SEW-EURODRIVE UK, reflects on his career, from his first role to the present day, highlighting the lessons he has learned from his personal and professional evolution.

You’re UK operations director at SEW-EURODRIVE UK. What does your role entail? 

I’m responsible for sales and production in the UK, overseeing SEW-EURODRIVE's operational direction and driving growth and efficiency across the country from our UK headquarters in Normanton.

We also have regional offices in Scotland, the East Midlands and South of England, with further team members based in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

We’ve got a fantastic UK team of more than 150 people, who are all instrumental in helping us meet our goals.

Did you always want to work in manufacturing? Or did you have other ambitions when you were growing up? 

I was never sure what I wanted to do when I left school.

I ended up training as an apprentice engineering fitter, and have specialised in gearboxes ever since. 

I was always good at craft design and technology at school, so this apprenticeship was right up my street.

If I didn’t take that path, I would have liked to have become a chef – I still enjoy cooking, but I don’t think I could cope with the long, intensive hours!

What was your first job – and did you enjoy it? 

A pot washer in a pub kitchen when I was 13.

After that, I got an apprenticeship at Renold as an engineer and fitter, which was amazing in terms of learning the sector and getting some real, hands-on skills. 

My apprenticeship was vast and covered everything from resource preparation and assembly, to improving organisation-wide working practices and procedures. 

I really would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone – getting to work and try out lots of different disciplines is so valuable. 

It was also a stepping stone into my first ‘proper job’, as I stayed with Renold as an internal sales engineer.

Were there any mentors or individuals that helped shape your career? And are you still applying lessons you learned then to your workforce of today?

Absolutely. 

I try and take something from everyone that I work with to help me develop, especially now at director level. 

Your people are what make the business run, so it is important we work together as a unified team on all projects, and that management listens to what’s happening on their shopfloors.

What attracted you to the sector? 

I was never really sure what I wanted to do, and it can be hard at school-leaver age.

I always preferred the hands-on subjects like design technology, so I chose an apprenticeship that aligned with this.

From there, I learned so much about the gears industry, and it really opened my eyes to the opportunities in the sector.

How do you feel you’ve changed as a person over the years? Have career roles brought new dimensions to your personality? 

I’ve definitely grown in confidence. 

When I first started out, if you’d have told me I'd be an operations director, overseeing UK output for a global firm, I’d have probably laughed.

Each role I’ve undertaken has taught me something different about people and communication. 

I’ve always been a bit of a joker, and it can be difficult to transition to a more serious role where you need to lead others and build and maintain important relationships. 

I’m a firm believer, however, that you should make work fun and keep people smiling.

You’ve seen many changes to the employment world across your career – how do you see the workplace evolving in years to come?

A hot topic is artificial intelligence and automation replacing human jobs but, realistically, I don’t see that happening in the dystopian way it’s portrayed online.  

I see artificial intelligence and robotics complementing our workforce and supporting with efficiency gains, real-time reporting, monitoring and improved process flows. 

I think there is a huge skills gap that needs to be addressed, whether through working with schools or colleges to promote better or more apprenticeships, or refining curriculums to suit the needs of employers.

We are also seeing a real change in terms of white-collar versus blue-collar career aspirations, and a lack of drive in younger people when it comes to putting in the graft.

It seems to be a big generational shift, but it is having a real impact on progression and personal development.

If employers can’t see the skill and ambition in their workforce, progression pathways will be severely delayed, which could have a knock-on impact on management and retirement planning.

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →