movers & shakers business as well as a few personal secrets! So Kevin, what initially attracted you to the Investors in People accreditation and how has your business benefited from this association? Like most things in business, to be sure you are doing things right (and doing the right things) you need to measure your progress and achievements against a benchmark. Investing in our people is one of the key pillars of the Bassadone Automotive Group Vision Statement therefore it is essential that we can prove that we are not merely paying lip service to it. Having decided to go for the Investors in People accreditation, our management team being what it is and who they are, we aimed for the top and achieved Gold status. Not only that but we achieved Champion status within Gold which makes us ambassadors for IIP. Only a very small percentage of companies in the UK have achieved this level. What makes us even more proud of this achievement is that within our Gibraltar workforce of over 200 people we have a wide range of skills including sales, I.T., workshop technicians, warehouse personnel, finance etc so our training and development plans have to be very varied to accommodate their different requirements. The IIP accreditation gives our team a sense of pride in the company they represent and sends a strong message to prospective new recruits that the Bassadone Automotive Group is a great company to work for. Tell me why you ended up in Gibraltar When I came out here for an interview in 1990, the Toyota export business had just started, George [Bassadone] was in the middle of a family buyout and the Finance Director at the time was close to retirement. Coupled with it being a great place to raise a family, it was a no brainer really. What are the things that you most love about your job? Creating a culture within the company that will still be in place long after I have departed... and driving change — essential to stimulate progress What is your least favourite part of doing what you do? Any type of bureaucracy... and airports. Have you and the business any plans to enhance the company’s excellent reputation in the community? The Bassadone showroom needs an overhaul, hopefully we can get that project underway fairly soon. During the time that you have been in Gibraltar have you been able to mentor anyone? I am currently mentoring one of our talent management team members. This is a new initiative where two teams of our brightest young members are working on a project that will culminate in a Dragons’ Den/Apprentice finale. Nobody is perfect, so what decisions have
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You are a very frequent business traveller to the Far East. Is business etiquette very different in that part of the world? Do you have any funny anecdotes you can share? I don’t think there are any secrets to dealing with the Japanese. Mutual respect is the key as Where will the most significant growth when dealing with most cultures. I do recall a occur in the company in the next few years meeting where Toyota was singing the praises and will Gibraltar benefit? We are working towards significant growth of their bland image. Mystified at first, I soon in the UK via the SsangYong brand and also in realised they were talking about their brand Finland and the Baltics via Renault, Dacia and image! Hyundai. Also our Jeep J8 business is expected to grow significantly over the next few years. Do you have enough time to sleep and rest? No two days or weeks are the same but on Each of these ventures will require additional investment in our Gibraltar management team. balance I generally get the right mix between work, family and personal life . With space being such a premium in Any ambitions not yet fulfilled? Gibraltar have you ever considered reOn a personal level; learn to play the piano, locating the business to another country? Some of our conversion work is already walk Offa’s Dyke with my three sons, get my subcontracted to Poland and Portugal but we golf handicap down to single handicap, become are hopeful that new facilities in Gibraltar will fluent in Spanish, get to know Japan outside of Tokyo and help my children to become fine retain and create jobs in Gibraltar. young adults. Plenty of work ambitions too but those remain behind the closed Boardroom Your business must be one of the most doors for now. dynamic businesses in Gibraltar, tell me how the business comes up with new and Which person would you most like to work fresh ideas. At the very top George (Bassadone) never with / for? Either of the two Warrens — Buffet or stops coming up with new ideas but throughout the organisation we foster a culture of Gatland. innovation. Mountain hideaway or beach house? Mountain Hideaway — we see enough of How much of the “Toyota Way” of doing the sea. things has been implemented in the business and how have these improved your business? What’s the favourite item in your wardrobe? One of the main pillars of the Toyota Way (I haven’t used this one before!) is the principle of Kaizen which means conMy golf shoes tinuous improvement and is what has made Toyota the most successful car manufacturer Best advice anyone has given to you — who in the world today. Each manager within the were they and how did you then use it? Bassadone Automotive Group has an annual I started my working life as a trainee accounKaizen plan. The author of the book The Toyota tant in the NHS. A chap there advised me that if Way is Godparent to one of George’s sons. I wanted to get out of the public sector I would have to do so before the age of 30. I am glad I took his advice. you made in your career that you look back on and would do differently? Underestimating the importance of cultural differences when investing overseas.
The IIP accreditation gives our team a sense of pride in the company they represent and sends a strong message to prospective new recruits that the Bassadone Automotive Group is a great company to work for
What movie (no matter how many times you’ve watched it) do you have to watch, when it comes on? From the ’60s — Zulu, a magnificent victory for the Welsh! More recently — Shaun of the Dead (British film comedy at its best). If haven’t chosen your current career, its there another career path you would have liked to pursue? Investment Analyst I will be back again next month, sharing insights from another mover and shaker in Gibraltar. n
Paul Wharton is Head of Corporate Banking at Barclays Wealth & Investment Management in Gibraltar having arrived on the Rock from the UK eight years ago. Paul has over three decades’ experience gained in various roles within Barclays, predominantly in and around London and is passionate about supporting the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) market which he sees as the lifeblood of the Gibraltar economy. Paul has won several awards for his work in Small Business Enterprise markets and has served on the London Board of the Prince’s Trust.
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