Name: Lorraine Ashover
1.Tell us something interesting about yourself we might not know?
– As a massive footie fan (Nottingham Forest and England) I was really excited to go to the Euros in Portugal in 2004. The golf resort I stayed at was also accommodating the BBC commentary team so one evening, after dinner, I got to engage in conversation with Gary Linekar, Alan Hansen, Peter Schmeichal and had a ‘row’ with Ian Wright about whether David Platt was a good manager or not! I also got a selfie with the legend Sir Geoff Hurst! Surreal!
2.What’s your job title?
– Director
3.Explain what that means in 20 words or less!
– Strategic planner, business development manager, financial wizard, human resources expert, project delivery and doing everything no one else does!
4.What’s the first thing you do when you get in the office or start work at your desk?
– Make a coffee!
5.Tea or coffee?
– Coffee, definitely. Ideally Starbucks, as my team will tell you, or via my own “all singing, all dancing” coffee machine I got for Christmas!
6.On a typical day, what are your top 3 (work related!) priorities?
- Making sure the team are all OK, know what’s required of them and are supported.
- Meeting any deadlines around live projects I’m the main lead on.
- Ensuring everything is in place for the business to run smoothly strategically, operationally and financially.
7.What did you get up to this morning?
– Had the team bi-monthly Management Meeting to discuss Key Reports, Customer Feedback, Complaints (there were none!), Health & Safety, Precedent Document Updates (Controlled Documents), Risks, Opportunities and Recommendations for Improvements, Environmental Impact and Climate Change: Improvements and Risks. It’s an incredibly valuable meeting and supports our ISO9001 Quality Management accreditation.
Then had a Teams meeting with a retainer client to support them with a potential direct award for their ICT Managed Service contract.
Followed by a new business opportunity meeting for a potential client looking at three tenders (ICT Managed Service, Cleaning and School Uniform)!
Finally, prepared for a 1-2-1 with my newest employee! What a packed morning!
8.What do you do in your lunch break?
– What’s a lunch break??
9.What happened this afternoon?
– Held the 1-2-1, one happy employee! Attended the ISBL Regional leaders call to engage with other School Business Leader group leads across the country. Bespoked a catering legal agreement with a winning bid and the day’s not over yet….!
10. Describe a ‘win’ moment you’ve had in the last month.
– Securing some business with a new Trust. The client has worked with us before but has moved to a new Trust and needs procurement support there. It’s so lovely when a client values your work so highly they ‘take you with them’ to their new job!
11.Has anything gone wrong recently? What happened?!
– I had a ‘do as I say, don’t’ do as I do moment’! I was poacher, turned gamekeeper and was due to submit a tender response for a consultancy framework opportunity. I left it until the last minute and it was so stressful! I always say I have little sympathy for bidders who miss deadlines on the basis they’ve had weeks to submit so if I hadn’t got it in on time it would have been totally my fault. So, note to self, allow more time.
12.Are you a morning ‘up with the lark’ person or a night owl?
– Definitely a night owl although we’re so busy these days I’m often an enforced lark! But don’t speak to me before my morning coffee if you see me…..
13.How do you spend your evenings/weekends?
– Working! I’ve been told I need to get a hobby as working doesn’t count! I regularly:
- act as a taxi for my daughter
- tinker with my Fantasy Premier League team in the footie season
- attempt to predict results in the Super 6 to beat my colleague Ben
- watch my beloved Nottingham Forest back in the Premier League
- try to avoid having more than two of my friend Phil’s porn star martini’s (they’re lethal)! And;
- delve into a good true crime documentary with my partner Craig or read a crime novel.
14.What do you most like about working for Minerva?
– The absolute sense of satisfaction I get from a ‘job well done’. We get such amazing feedback from our customers and there’s nothing better than knowing you’ve given your best and it’s appreciated.
15.What piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
– Stop trying to be who everyone else wants you to be. Be yourself – you can’t please all the people all the time so at least make sure you are happy.
16.Your chosen specialist subject if you were on Mastermind?
– UK service stations that have a Starbucks outlet…….
