In this episode Chris Waymouth, an industry veteran (and one of the industry’s Mr Nice guy’s), discusses how he began in the industry back in 1969 at Walkers of Northampton, even though Chris was born into a family of teachers.
At Walkers of Northampton Chris undertook a variety of roles within the business that gave him the grounding to pursue a career in management. In 1973 Chris took up a role within Amertrans where he honed his skills in export, shipping and forwarding, before joining Navtrans (North American Vanlines) in 1978, where he diversified the business into electronics stockholding & distribution, and airfreight (via the purchase of a company). In the late 1980’s Chris joined TransEuro (after a call from the late Paul Evans), where he remained for 12 years until the takeover with Amertrans, where TransEuro became TEAM Relocations. Chris then joined forces with Robby Wogan at MoveAssist to project manage OMNI Connect. After a telephone call from David Trenchard at QSS (Quality Service Standards) Chris took up a role to head the company, where he remained for 14 years.
Today Chris is still involved within the industry, maintaining the development of the BAR database (BITS), as a BSI (British Standards Institute) Committee Chairman where he has been reworking the BSEN12522 (for the past 2/2.5 years) which will hopefully be released early this year, and being a keen photographer Chris can be found snapping away at BAR Conference.
One of Chris’s challenges, personally, was self-confidence in his early days. In business, it was dealing with the less ethical side.
Chris would change very little, if anything, from his moving past.
Chris has loved being within the industry and has many highpoints, TransEuro undoubtedly being one where he led the building of the automated firesafe warehouse which opened in 1997 at a cost of £14m. Another was a flight on Concorde, thanks to the 4 guys that ran the airfreight business which was purchased during his time at Navtrans.
The one thing Chris would like to change within the industry is more women involved in the frontline, such as the packing.
The advice Chris would give himself just starting out within the industry again is honesty, fairness, and getting that grounding of what actually happens on the front line, getting to understand the grass roots of the business.
In the next 5 years Chris still hopes to be clicking the shutter at BAR Conference and maintaining BITS for the BAR over the next couple of years. Industry wise, Chris believes electronics will play an even greater role, maybe not AI however, but Chris isn’t convinced by virtual surveys.
Outside of the industry Chris runs a community cinema, has had a lifelong interest in photography, is a petrolhead with an interest in cars, follows motorsport quite seriously, and sailing, but in more recent years narrow boating.
And as always, we end Moving Matters with a funny moving story, in fact two, one regarding Chris’s job interview at Walkers of Northampton and the other regarding his moustache.
Enjoy! Special Guest: Chris Waymouth.