special feature people and recruitment
Is there life after leasing? Geoff Kontzle tells of his decision to ‘move on’
After a period of some 25 years-plus involved full time in the leasing sector with a variety of key players e.g. Barclays, Capita (Sector Treasury Services), Alliance & Leicester, and then my contribution in assisting Syscap build upon their public sector ambitions, conditions helped me decide and to reflect upon my past experiences and involvement in the leasing industry, and to consider if it was time to “hang up my boots” completely, or to develop my career further. One of the major contributory factors affecting my decision at the time, in the summer of 2008, was the banking crisis and recession that had engulfed the UK. The market arena at that time had limiting factors as lessors sought to pull in the reins of lending and risk appetite.
Many options from those involved in leasing landed in my lap, but I was focused and drawn to developing and running my own business with a focus towards assisting organisations with a variety of consulting and training options, primarily in improving their purchasing processes, evaluation of suppliers, products and services, and general business improvement. Now, on paper it seems very easy for somebody with such large business experience, networks in place and a reputation for delivery to gain numerous business opportunities, and I thought that’s how it would be. However, the reality is quite different, it takes time, it takes effort but it takes a degree of patience, too. To develop and run a business such as I wanted to, meant developing a robust business and marketing plan, acquiring funding, finding new customers, and building up new connections and recommendations for my business. One other key attribute I knew I needed to obtain was a professional qualification in teaching, and for those who don’t know it, in order to teach/ train people professionally in the UK there is a requirement to achieve the Preparing to Teach in the Life Long Learning Sector (“PTTLS”) qualification. Without this qualification you wouldn’t be allowed into any technical college in the land, however impressive your knowledge and experience of a subject. Having acquired this qualification one of my first contracts was to commence supporting students about to embark on their Chartered Institute of Purchasing Supply Examinations. This enabled me to support the students in developing improved negotiation skills, and measuring of suppliers’ skills.
After a successful contract evaluation with my client, further work came my way very quickly in the form of supporting a wider range and mix of students in gaining qualifications in Business Studies at HNC and HND level. I have since decided to widen this aspect of my activities by taking a degree course with University of Winchester in Teaching & Training. However, being an individual still with an interest in leasing, I have kept in touch with some of the leading
40
practitioner’s primarily to enable me to assess lessors’ activities in the new and emerging market conditions, post- recession, post change of government, and the effects on them and their customers. This has enabled me to continue journalistic contributions to Leasing World and to World Leasing.
Having close connections with the Public Sector, and having been a school governor, and provided training for school governors in support of another contract I acquired, I have now been lucky enough to develop connections with a variety of training providers in purchase and supply, thanks to which we have pooled our knowledge and resources. This has enabled us to provide our clients with improved processes in contract management, supplier evaluation and appraisal and enabling schools, colleges meet Financial Management Standards in Schools (“FMSiS”) requirements in governance and transparency.
Furthermore, I have linked with an ex-colleague from my Capita days to provide schools with improved communication software facilities to improve the link between student, parent and school/college, as this hits all the improvement ticks in the boxes that OFSTED seeks to see achieved.
Aside of these developments, and funnily enough, leasing has been on the agenda of many of my clients, these organisations in the public sector have found themselves confused, and often bemused by the technical speak of sellers of products such as operating or finance leasing and managed services options in connection with ICT and photo-copier equipment. It has been disappointing for me to hear so many negatives from clients towards leasing as a product, and how they have found themselves entering into contracts that have not meet their requirements and needs.
So what of the future? My primary focus at the moment is continuing to hit my own business goals and targets, it’s a great pleasure to set your own targets, and go at a pace that suits yourself. I aim to complete my degree in 2012, and to enable my two elder sons to become more deeply employed and empowered in the business we are developing. On a personal note, one great outcome of my time out of leasing has been the focus of time towards watching more cricket, playing squash and tennis, and shedding some 10 kgs of weight. Those functions and dinners I attended over the years, do slow you down. Being fitter, healthier and with a new future ahead has given me a new zest for a prosperous and successful future.
For more information and help with improved purchasing processes, consultancy and training options, or just to catch up and say Hi, you can call me, Geoff Kontzle on 07530- 828594 or email me at
geoff@geoffkontzle.co.uk, or find me on LinkedIn.
www.leasingworld.co.uk ■ March 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52