ACR Journal

CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk 43 SPONSORED BY VRF? GOHEAVY also the membership selection committee. My learning continued when I was seconded to the LU-VE manufacturing plant in Italy and subsequently I was to oversee the LU-VE brand recognition within Dean & Wood. I was then promoted to Branch Manager of Dean & Wood Birmingham, where I learnt both hands on and theoretical operation management. Motherhood then called and I now have two gorgeous boys, Joey and Archie. Biggest challenge On returning full time to the industry, I became the Product Manager for Beijer Ref with my biggest challenge to date. This was to raise the awareness of the use of natural refrigerants in the commercial market and in particular to launch the Cubo2 Smart C02 packaged condensing unit range to contractors who were not too familiar with C02. Retail supermarket and industrial contractors were the main customers installing and servicing systems using natural refrigerants. It was my task to widen the net and to remove the mystique surrounding C02. All my previous roles had been challenging, but this was the toughest yet. There was - and still is to a degree - a need for medium and long term refrigerant solutions as we move through the phasedown. I often wonder to this day what our industry would be like if we had continued to use C02 as a refrigerant as we did in the 1850s. I received recognition for this work with an article published by the United Nations Environmental Programme. Still overseeing the introduction of natural refrigerants, I joined the Beijer Ref wholesaler HRP as the Northern Regional Sales Manager. During this time, I completed two intensive leadership training programmes - Inspirational Leadership and Ultimate Leadership - where I gained invaluable skills. A lot of travel but so much reward too. In sales you simply get out what you put in. In March 2020 I was promoted to head the Dean & Wood business as Business Director. I am bursting with ideas to promote this business and its services. Watch this space! I love this industry and the opportunities every new day brings. It can be viewed by women as a male dominated and a bit boring. To that I say get amongst it ladies and then make that call in a year’s time, you won’t be disappointed.