“It’s the people that make it.”
In our latest team spotlight, we sit down with Phil Lawson to find out why heading up our finance team is about much more than the numbers…
Hi Phil, what do you do at Trust?
I’m the company’s Finance Director. I’ve been here just over four years now. Before that I was working in a similar role but a different part of the construction industry, focusing on house building and the civil engineering side of that.
I met with David, Trust’s previous Finance Director, when he was getting ready to retire. He talked me through the plans for Trust’s future growth and I was really impressed. I could see the potential for expansion and the staff were all so friendly, which was a big plus. In fact, that’s something we try to keep going, so everyone who’s new to us feels really welcome right from the start.
What does a typical day look like for you?
In my main role, I oversee the preparation of our monthly accounts and raise any finance we might need to buy new equipment or fund new initiatives. I also manage our cash flow and help our teams with costings for our contracts.
But it’s not all about the numbers. A big part of my role is understanding the business as a whole. To do your job well in finance and support the team, you’ve got to get involved in the operational and commercial side of things and really see what’s going on.
In fact, between us – the directors – we also take on responsibilities for certain other tasks and departments. For me, that means I oversee the planning of all our transport. The department’s got its own manager, but they come to me to get things agreed. They’re a busy team so there’s always a lot happening and it links into finance because it’s a costly part of the business, running all of our lorries and vans and plant, as well as renewing our fleet.
Plus, as we pivot into new different areas of work, that brings different requirements for different machinery, so we have to look at what we’re going to invest in or hire. In fact, that’s one of the great things about working here – we’re not just doing one thing, so it never feels repetitive or boring. Doing the accounts each month might be the same, but running the departments is hugely varied and I love the mix of tasks.
So, in short, I don’t really think there is a typical day in this job. One day I might be reviewing our monthly performance or the budget for the coming year and the next I might be working more operationally, organising prices for, say, a road surfacing contract. It’s very varied.
What do you love about your job and working at Trust?
I like the variety, but it’s the people that make it. In terms of our head office, we’re still a fairly small team so we’ve kept that family feel. We all look out for each other and everyone goes above and beyond. It’s not just about the nine to five – people will go the extra mile to get things done as a team, and that really says a lot about Trust as a business.
As long as you put in the work and respect the people around you, I think you get that same commitment back from your colleagues and the company. It’s a good place to work.
How do you feel about Trust’s future ambitions?
It’s exciting to be involved in shaping where we go next and what we do. This is a great business to be part of, so I want to deliver real growth and make it as successful as possible.
Finance is always a big part of our future plans because we’ll start by looking ahead at where we think the big utilities spends are going to be. In previous years it’s been fibre optics or telecoms, because that’s what the government was pumping money into, but those have quietened down.
Right now, there’s a big push on water and renewable energy, so it’s about identifying that early and making sure we’ve got the skills, capabilities and resources we need to win the work.
I’m really happy with the new brand we’ve created to take us forward. We’ve got a fresh new look and a real vision for the future. We’ve just got to make it happen now – and I’m confident we will.
When you’re not at work, how do you like to spend your time?
It’s not easy to switch my finance brain off – there’s always something popping into my head. But I’ve got three daughters, so they keep me very busy. They’re all dancers and the middle one, who’s nine, plays football as well. I’m the assistant manager for her team, so there’s always plenty to do. Plus we’ve just moved house, so there’s a whole lot of DIY to get through!
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