19 Aug Staff Spotlight: John Smith

For our latest newsletter, we spoke to Company Secretary, John Smith, about his role and his experiences as part of our team at Gray & Adams…

How Long have you been working with Gray & Adams and what is your day-to-day role?

I qualified as a chartered accountant in 1986 and I started with Gray & Adams in 1993 so 28 and a half years in the business so far! My role is company secretary for Gray & Adams Ltd and I also oversee the accountancy work for Gray & Adams Dunfermline depot. My role is to ensure that the financials are all running smoothly and all necessary submissions to government bodies are presented in a correct and timely manner. 

What attracted you to the company initially?

I was looking for a new role at the time as I was living in Fraserburgh and had a long commute to my previous job. I was ideally looking for something closer to home in order to find a work-life balance that worked for me and my family. The job came up at Gray & Adams, I applied, and the rest is history!

Tell us about your greatest achievement whilst working for Gray & Adams

I wouldn’t pinpoint one thing that was a great achievement, but I will say that the accounts and financial team here at Gray & Adams does a fantastic job of adapting to change, for example we have always been adaptable to new programmes and systems that improve efficiencies in all areas of the business.

The turnover has more than trebled and employee headcount has doubled since my first day which is fantastic but in my role it’s important to keep abreast of any impacts of this growth in order to assist smooth and successful operations of the business. 

What current innovation impresses you the most and why?

Gray & Adams have always been synonymous with innovation, and I’ve always been impressed with the customer first concept, if a customer needs something, the team will always do their best to accommodate it or explore different ways the product can add value to each one of their customers. 

If you could do someone else’s job (at Gray & Adams) for the day, whose would it be and why?

I would be really interested to take on the role of a Salesperson, just for one day. The role would really take me out my comfort zone and it would be interesting to speak to a range of customers, meet new people and explain the features and benefits of a Gray & Adams trailer.

What is the best thing about working for Gray & Adams?

I’ve been with the business for 28 and a half years now so they must be doing something right! My original reason for joining the business back in 1993 was to reduce my daily commute to work but my circumstances have now completely changed as I have moved house over an hour’s drive away meaning that I travel 2 hours a day when in the office, but I now don’t see this is as an issue as I enjoy my role and working with the business so much.