On the line with Mark Henry

Mark Henry, one of our Process Managers,  has been with Victory since the start.  Since then he's moved through various roles and knows the ins and outs of Victory from the start of the production line to the end. We caught up with him to find out why he loves his role so much…

How did you end up in the holiday home industry?

I joined the industry straight after school - and never left! My family were already at Cosalt, another caravan company, and I started building lodges and went from there. 

What brought you to Victory?

When Cosalt collapsed during the 2008 recession, a new name and business evolved and has since transformed into the brand you see today. In all honesty, my role at the newly-formed Victory was a challenge - I was so used to building bespoke holiday homes that were highly personalised so moving to a more process-driven environment was hard. But I stuck with it because I could see how well it worked, and it’s been incredible to see the evolution of Victory in the thirteen years I’ve been here. I can't wait for the next 13…

What does a typical working day look like for you?

Where do I start? It’s so varied but a normal day would involve a morning catchup with my team outlining our objectives for the day, identifying challenges in the supply chain that might effect production, replying to customer queries, and lots of other bits in between. Having such a dynamic role means that no two days are the same, and you never know what could be round the corner so it helps to be adaptable and calm under pressure.  

 
What's your favourite Victory home and why?

Out of all of the incredible homes we produce, it would have to be the Faraday lodge. I pass it every day on our showground and it looks fantastic, especially now the Design team have added the finishing touches. For me it’s the perfect balance between contemporary and traditional, and the layout of the kitchen, dining and living room area is spacious and very sociable.

 

What do you do in your spare time?

Busy spending time with my wife and raising two kids! Over the years I’ve had many hobbies like Motocross and snooker but I’ve recently got back into gaming. I’m also a big fan of superheroes and all things DC Universe but I won’t bore you with it!

Tell us about your hidden talent and how you learnt it… 

I've got a few magic tricks up my sleeve! It all began a good few years ago... I was playing poker with my family when I learnt an old trick with the deck of cards. After fascinating my family with the trick, I became interested in learning more. I then taught myself some new tricks and now you’ll catch me on the line or in the offices showing off with a trick or two. The look on people’s faces is what draws me into it and, of course, I can’t give any secrets away!

What challenges do you face in Process Management and how do you overcome them?

One of the biggest challenges for me is understanding the people around me and appreciating that everyone comes from a different background. We’re working in such a time-pressured environment and sometimes it can be issues outside of work that can affect the process. The key for me is understanding them, their needs, and making sure they know that I’m there to listen and support where I can.

How do you motivate your team?

This is a tricky one because it varies by individual. For example, I have someone in my team motivated by targets, and they'll do everything they can to hit the end target. On the flip side, I have another teammate who's motivated by praise, and someone else who wants more freedom and a more hands-off approach. So each member of my team get's a tailored approach to the way I motivate them and, so far, I think it works.

What's one thing that people don't know about you?

I’m from a family of travellers. My grandparents were the traditional type and spoke the Romani-Gypsy Cant language, which my granddad tried to teach me but it went straight over my head! 

If you could teleport back in time, what would you change knowing what you know now?

In this technology-led era, I would’ve loved to have learnt coding and all things IT when it was first coming into fruition. I think I could’ve also applied this in working life here at Victory, especially when we’re always looking to innovate and adapt to change, and I think technology will forever play a massive part in it.