Paul Rogers
ATI Pop-up Innovation Centre Coordinator
We are delighted to announce the arrival of our latest recruit, Mr Paul Miles Rogers! Please join us in giving him a very warm welcome. Paul is the final piece in the ATI puzzle and takes up the position of Pop-up Innovation Centre Coordinator.
Currently based out of our Saltash Pop-up Innovation Centre, Paul’s role is to facilitate the smooth running of this adaptable workspace, from greeting those businesses whom wish to use the hot-desk facilities; to hosting our Pop-up Innovation Centre events and managing the smooth transition as we move on to new locations across the County.
“Running the Pop-up is like running a small business office, it’s also about bringing people together, connecting businesses with ATI’s Business Innovation Advisors and with other partner organisations throughout the Duchy. I look forward to helping all the people who visit the Pop-up and helping them to achieve their goals” says Paul.
Paul has had a diverse and long career within a number of industry sectors. In his youth, Paul started out in agriculture where he left Harper Adams Agricultural College to begin working in a very specialised area of farming; sheep milking. Having supplied yogurt and cheese makers, Paul is passionate about the farming community and says “I would do it again if I could”.
Paul then switched into light engineering for a number of years and ran a small department producing springs, primarily for the automotive industry. Working on the factory floor provided valuable manufacturing experience, as well as learning about team dynamics.
He then moved into the service sector, a role which would years later develop into running his own business and enable him to achieve his lifetime goal; to live in Cornwall. Paul spent twenty three years working with insolvency practitioners and in that time he saw “many thousands of businesses, in many situations and at a time when they were at their most stressed”. He explains “I learnt to identify what I now call the ‘Trigger Events’ which can happen to businesses, events which can seem a minor blip but can develop into catastrophe”.
Paul and his business partner went on to eventually set up their own firm of insolvency practitioners in 2004, in Warwickshire. A endeavour which taught him a lot:
“I learnt so much from running my own business. I built connections and those connections generated referrals of new clients, over a wide geographical area, from the north Midlands to East Anglia, from the Home Counties to Cornwall… Running a small business means you have to master many skills whilst continuing to do what your business does” he explains.
Most of the roles Paul has undertaken have come to fruition by following his nose and utilising his connections, particularly in the “many years before LinkedIn was around” he points out. So what brought him here to Cornwall? As we mentioned earlier, it was Paul’s goal was to retire here and the opportunity was achieved early when his business partner decided to retire early.
After taking advice from others on how to market the business for sale, Paul followed his infamous catchphrase “my advice is to take advice” a catchphrase which had helped him grow his business over many years. In his view “one should always have end goals for your business. It helps you focus. I also think it’s good to have a physical representation of your goals, so write it down, display a picture – whatever works for you”.
So what can Paul bring to his new role with ATI? Well, he’s a friendly face with a lifetime of business experience and he’s simply a fantastic addition to the team. We look forward to working together with you, our clients, to see how the ATI team can help you fulfil your business goals.