Tell us a bit about your role and how it supports the business?
As Co-Founder and CEO, my role is to provide the leadership and vision to drive the culture and company forward and make sure that we make the best organisational decisions wherever possible.
What has been your career highlight to date?
Starting from a bedroom in 2008 to buying an office that was heralded as the city’s “Coolest Office” by the local news media and now employs 45 people. It’s been incredible seeing the company grow and creating a family that are just as passionate about the vision as I am.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Pain = growth.
We live by the motto “you win or you learn” at Invasion and I think it’s so important to take your failures and turn them into positives.
If you were not working in this sector what other industry would you have pursued a career in?
I studied law at University, which seemed my chosen path so potentially that. But then again, who knows as I tend to not follow conventions ☺
What are the emerging trends within your sector?
Tik Tok (especially for our student demographic), staycations and flexible working hours. I think covid has reminded us of the importance of staying flexible and adapting as we go.
What is coming up for your company in the next 12/18 months?
We’re really looking forward to travel resuming again and being able to focus on what we do best by sending people away and providing unforgettable experiences for them.
Covid-19 has had a huge impact on our industry, what is the one thing that you have learnt personally or professionally during this time?
To never give up, to always do your best and continue to drive things forward and to have the belief that things will somehow work out in the end.
As we head towards recovery what do you think the challenges and opportunities are for our sector?
A new world will await us in the post pandemic reality whereby traditional trends may no longer apply and companies will need to embrace change rather than assume that things will just go back to the way they were. It’s always a challenge to go against how something has always been done but the pandemic has given us time to think, reflect on and improve all of our processes and unlearn some of our previous bad habits.
How do you think Covid-19 will change our industry (if at all)?
Health and safety is going to become more prominent than it ever was before, as will flexibility. Plans now can change in a blink of an eye and the customer wants to be sure that they are both financially and physically protected in such an unpredictable climate.
Name three positives to come out of lockdown
1) Learning to be more appreciative and gaining perspective to focus on what matters
2) In the long run, we’ll be collectively stronger people for having gone through it
3) Donald Trump losing the election (as he probably would have been re-elected otherwise)
Find our more about BETA Member Invasion here
Published 01 July 2021
