Insight Success Stories

GREGG PEARCE

Account Manager → Sales Manager → Senior Sales Manager → Sales Director

5 Years with Insight

What did you do before you joined Insight? – I played football and worked for a web development agency.

So…. if not Insight, what might you be doing now? Which job? – With a little bit more luck still playing football

Tell me about getting your job here - I joined Insight as a Business Development Manager for the Sheffield office. I had an interview, a presentation and a role play! I really felt the business would give me the platform to grow; it was a significant stop for me working in such a huge business with huge potential.

Can you explain how you have developed since you started? – I was commercially naïve before I joined Insight and quickly learnt the value of providing a ROI in your current role and delivering one for your clients.

Was there someone who helped you along your way? – Lots of people have helped me along the way. I have tried hard to work with as many people in the business and learn something from each person I have worked with.

In what way did you contribute to your success and progression? Was it worth it? – I have worked very hard over the previous 5 years making sacrifices personally in order to show dedication to the business. Personally I feel that the rewards and progression I have seen whilst at Insight have more than compensated me and my family for the sacrifices I have made to earn my current role.

What is the most important thing you have learned during your time here? – Be committed, work hard and the rewards will follow.

What's your favourite thing about Insight? – The team spirit that we have here in the Sheffield office. We work at a furious pace; you don't have time to be bored!

Are there any other roles within Insight that you've always wanted to have ago at? Why? – I really want to experience working in another country. My language skills aren't up to much so I am spending time trying to learn another language – It is very slow going!

Memorable Insight moment? – Being made Sales Director for the Sheffield office, it was the culmination of 5 years hard work!

What does the future hold? – Hopefully the chance to experience Insight in another country, maybe in a few years. But the immediate future is continuing the growth and success experienced in Sheffield.

GREG SHEPPARD

 Account Manager → Senior Account Manager → P&D Recruiter 

5 years with Insight

How long have you been at Insight? -I have been at Insight for a total of about 5 years. This is my second time at Insight. I left briefly in 2008 but returned 6 months later. I am living testament that the grass is not always greener on the other side!

What did you do before you joined Insight? - Before Insight I had spent 8 years working for Computacenter which was one of my first jobs after graduating. It was a fantastic place to learn sales skills and proved to be a great environment to be driven, determined and successful. During my time there I was an Account Manager, a Senior Account Manager and a Team Leader with 5 direct reports.

So…. if not Insight, what might you be doing now? Which job? - If I wasn't working at Insight I would have followed my interest in Psychology and psychotherapy.

Tell me about getting your job here - Whilst at Computacenter I made many contacts and knew some people who already worked at Insight. I was referred by the now Group Purchasing Manager, Candys Mitson.

Can you explain how you have developed since you started? - When I first came to Insight my one and only goal was to develop and prove myself in London Business sales. I remember wanting to make the jump from IDO to Tenured Sales very quickly and I set the record in 2005 by achieving this is 4 months. Since that point my focus became the development of my book which became very stable and long-standing in its client-advisor relationships.
At that point I realized that to progress I either had to go for Sales Management or look for a career change to something that I felt suited my personality more than Sales - despite my success in the area. I realized that the path I was searching for was firstly, Operational and then much more person-centric and so I decided I wanted to move to P&D.

Was there someone who helped you along your way? - There were 2 key people that I feel helped me enormously along the way. They are Angela Hughes, P&D Director and Lindsay Cord, Corporate Sales Manager. Angela was the first person I spoke to about my desire for career change and she listened to my rreasons and my motivators became my sponsor and essentially drew up my Development Plan which lasted for 1 year.

As part of that development plan Lindsay mentored me in all areas of people and performance management which is essential in my new area.easons and my motivators became my sponsor and essentially drew up my Development Plan which lasted for 1 year. As part of that development plan Lindsay mentored me in all areas of people and performance management which is essential in my new area.

In what way did you contribute to your success and progression? Was it worth it? - I believed that the path I wanted to follow was the correct one and I pushed for it every step of the way and made sure that the key people involved knew that this was what I wanted to do and that no matter how long it took me to get there, this was my determination. It was very much worth it.

What is the most important thing you have learned during your time here? - I have learned that even when you demonstrate talent and success in one established area, Insight is a very progressive organization that recognizes that people change, and your career can change without having to leave the Company.

What's your favourite thing about Insight? - I love that in my role no two days are the same and that because I work in the Recruitment function of P&D, I find that I can have very clear and demonstrable positive effects on the organization in two main ways: I help bring in new talent which contributes to our aggressive growth plans, plus by lessening our past use of external recruitment agencies I help to significantly reduce our cost of hire of new teammates.

Are there any other roles within Insight that you've always wanted to have ago at?  - P&D is definitely my function of choice and I'd like to move up into P&D Management in time.

Memorable Insight moment?  - For me it was my change of roles, a brand new job but in the place and with the people you already know can be a very exciting thing.

What does the future hold? - As said before, P&D is my future and I'd like to be a manager of people. My own manager, Gill Swain, is a very effective and inspirational leader and I am finding I am learning a great deal from her day-by-day plus I have had experience of running a team at a previous employer and I am determined that my future lies here!