Paul Verwoert

What matters most to Paul about working at Hartsfield?

It’s an honour to spend so much time with such a professional group of people who all just want to do the right thing by others. That’s the key thing we look for when ‘allowing’ anyone else to join the team.

I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve created such a strong sense of family and ‘teamness’ at Hartsfield and nothing makes me happier than seeing the team and their families spending time together socially.

Some companies talk about putting the client at the heart of everything they do; other business leaders talk about looking after your staff and they’ll do the rest. All companies need to hit targets to remain in business. We’ve found that the best solution is our ‘3 C’ approach – balancing the needs of our Clients, our Colleagues and our Company. If something ticks all boxes, it’s a sound strategy.

What matters most to Paul about his specific role?

My job is to help identify what the team is most passionate about, what they do best and what they most enjoy, and to get them spending as much of their working day doing just that. People spend a massive amount of time at work, so it’s important they get to do things they enjoy and that they’re able to strike the right balance between work and outside interests.

Family always comes first, so we’ll always do whatever we can to support our people and their families whether that’s through flexible working or other support. I love the fact that we can run a successful business despite strongly believing that being able to attend a child’s school play is what matters most sometimes.

What matters most to Paul outside of work?

When you run your own business, there’s no such thing as ‘outside work’. As all business owners will tell you, your business is you, and you are your business. But it’s important to take time out and when I do, I enjoy spending time with family and friends. In an ideal world, my time outside of work would be spent having a steak lunch before watching my hometown of Bath play rugby – or England at Twickenham if I’m lucky.