Meet your Sussex Vice Chair Paul Hetherington
Get to know your Vice Chair in Sussex
Name: Paul Hetherington
Position/company: Founder of HIS Ltd, a Vistage UK Ltd. group Chair, Non-Executive Director at The BRE Group and Trustee of BRE Trust.
Describe your current role/company: I have transitioned into a portfolio career. Splitting my time between; Consulting and advising with HIS Ltd in the manufacturing and building materials sectors, chairing a Vistage group of CEOs & Business Owners in Sussex/Kent, and being a Trustee & NED at The BRE Trust and The BRE Group respectively.
Previous roles: Chief Executive Officer of Marshall Tufflex Ltd, Divisional Managing Director at The Alumasc Group plc, Sales & Marketing Director at PTS (now part of Travis Perkins PLC) and Customer Services Director at The Rugby Group PLC’s joinery division (now Jeldwen UK)
Other information (eg. Other positions held, charity roles): In addition to being Vice Chair of Sussex IoD and Ambassador for Manufacturing and Engineering I am a Trustee at BRE Trust. Recently finished my time as Trustee of a local special school and was previously a NED at the Builders Merchant Federation (BMF) for six years.
Outside work (hobbies/interests): I’m a keen, though not very good golfer, enjoy weekends away with my wife and friends, recently having a wonderful trip to Bruges, highly recommended!
How long have you been an IoD member? 20+ years
Describe your role as an Ambassador: I see the role as an experienced, useful guide that can help directors from my sector; manufacturing and engineering to navigate the IoD offering. As long-standing business leaders in the field, we can also help signpost members to other local and national facilities that may help them. Finally, we are a friendly and approachable face at local and national IoD events.
What part of IoD membership do you value most? Local events, business services and the Pall Mall meeting space.
What are the top three things about your branch area? The Chair and committee’s vast experience and diversity within a variety of sectors. Speakers, like the Bank of England representative and the local connection events.
If you could give one message to the Prime Minister, what would it be? Competence is the number one requirement of any Government and Minister at any level.
What are you most looking forward to in the next 12 months? Continuing my learning journey.
Looking back, what advice would you give yourself when you started out in business? Join IoD early and get involved. The people you meet, courses you do and events you go to will bring you into contact with a diversity of thought that can change your life.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know Paul!
