Welcome to the latest edition of our Spotlight On… series. This month, we delve into the beating heart of The Edge… our Operations Manager Pete Burrows!
Pete – thanks for taking the time to talk to us.
First things first, Operations Manager sounds like an important role! Tell us what you get up to on a day to day basis?
I find my role is incredibly varied and as a result no two days are ever the same. Operations management touches on most aspects of what we do at The Edge but primarily focuses on analysing and improving organisational processes to improve quality, productivity and efficiency.
What’s your favourite part of your job? Something you really look forward to doing.
That’s a really good question and I’m not sure I have an answer. I really like the fact that my role is varied and I always have to deal with new challenges. I enjoy getting to grips with new technology and exploring how we can use it to our advantage and deliver cutting edge work for our clients.
How long have you been at The Edge? What attracted you to join the company?
I’ve been at The Edge for 21 years now which is a crazy amount of time. I started as a runner on a few days’ work experience and never left. I was attracted to the company as they’d just won some major awards and thought they must be doing something right!
Had you always envisioned yourself as an Operations Manager?
In all honesty, no. When I first started at The Edge, I had no idea what I wanted to be or what I wanted to do. I enjoyed production and constantly being on the move and over time I progressed through the production side of the business before an opportunity arose to look after the IT systems and setup of our first edit facility and it kind of spiralled from there!
What do you think your strengths are?
I’d say my strengths are probably juggling multiple tasks at the same time and getting to grips with new technology very quickly.
What do you think your weaknesses are?
I can be distracted pretty easily.
You work for a film production company, so do you have any background or interest in film?
I certainly didn’t have a background in the industry before starting work at The Edge as I was only 18. I’ve always loved films and TV and that love has certainly grown during my time here. Being surrounded by people who share common interests is great as there is always someone recommending something new to watch or listen too.
Tell us something interesting you know, that other people might not.
Around the 1800’s our office building was once the site of a brewery with stables in the basement which were uncovered during its refurbishment in 2007.
What’s your most memorable ‘facepalm’ moment? A story to tell the grandkids…
I hope to be so old by the time I have grandkids they won’t be interested in my embarrassing stories… hopefully!
Whether they admit it or not, everyone has one – so what is your guilty pleasure?
As everyone in the office knows biscuits , cake and any other form of sugar.