Then and now... James Allsopp

In the latest instalment of Bdaily's Then and now series, James Allsopp, chief financial officer at Hebburn-based ITC Service, 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 chief financial officer at ITC Service. What does your role entail?

I’m responsible for the financial strategy of the company.

We’re on a well-established growth path, both organically and through acquisitions, and it’s my job to make sure we do that successfully within the financial parameters set by our key financial stakeholders

Did you always want to work in the technology/managed service sector? Or did you have other ambitions when you were growing up?

I wanted to be a footballer! 

Once I realised that wasn’t going to happen, I tried to map out a career path to get me into finance director/chief financial officer roles – following in my father’s footsteps. 

Once I got into corporate finance, I really enjoyed helping companies raise money, acquire new businesses and help owners realise value via an exit. 

My previous role was in e-commerce, but when the opportunity came to join the team at ITC Service, I really couldn’t say no.

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

I was an odd-job man at the hospital where my dad worked – I would fill in across the facilities team when anyone was on holiday.

I was a porter, kitchen porter, support chef, car park attendant, security guard and a postman (that was my favourite job). 

I normally did it during the summer holidays throughout my A levels and university.

It was great fun.

It gave me a good understanding of working with people. The hospital was massive, with 1000-plus employees, and I was regularly posted to different parts.

That adaptability is a skill that has helped me progress through my career.

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?

My dad was a very big influence on my career direction; I watched him build a career for himself in finance – to provide for his family – and it left a big impact on me and what I’d like to do. 

I’ve worked with lots of great people throughout my career, but the one person who stands out was a partner in corporate finance at UNW called Paul Kaiser. 

Paul helped develop me from a relatively immature, but knowledgeable, individual to being a senior person within a company, to be a manager of people and a leader, instead of being just a good operator.

He always dealt with things head-on, protected his people and led by example.

I’d like to think I do that – I believe strongly in teamwork and accountability, building a culture of togetherness wherever I work. 

What attracted you to the technology/managed service sector?

Having worked with so many technology businesses, the level of innovation I’ve seen is fascinating.  

People always find new ways to do things faster and smarter, and that piques my interest because I can see the long-term benefits it can bring to a business. 

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

I’m learning all the time and every role has had an influence on the way I manage and lead. 

There’s no way I had the skills or experience in the early part of my career to be able to step into the role of a business leader.

I’m far more mature now in my approach to issues and dealing with people.

I’m very open minded, and I certainly take a more balanced view of issues than I used to.

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

The rapid development of artificial intelligence is the obvious thing that will change the current world of work, but the big question is how.

Working with people is my favourite part of my job, so I’m not looking at artificial intelligence to replace people in finance, rather enhance what they can do for the business.

It will be interesting to see how businesses approach it over the next few years. 

The teams who embrace its capabilities and push the boundaries to drive improvements will be the most successful.

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