Welcome to the latest instalment in our Activate Allstars series, recognising the amazing people that work for Activate Group and their achievements.
We interviewed Gavin Cassels, the Business Development Manager at sopp+sopp. Gavin started with sopp+sopp back in 2015 before it was acquired by Activate Group, and moved into the Commercial team after spending many years in the Contact Centre.
Read on to learn more about Gavin’s history with the business and how he overcame self-doubt to achieve his career goals…
When did you start at Activate Group and what role were you in?
“I actually started working for sopp+sopp in September 2015 before they were acquired by Activate Group! I began as a Call Centre Handler. “
What first attracted you to your initial role within Activate Group?
“To begin with, the role was honestly a gap fill for me and I thought I might move on in a few months – it wasn’t until a few weeks in that I realised I could build a career here. “
Why did you want to progress within the business?
“I saw lots of movement around me – people were switching into different roles, and being promoted to senior and managerial roles, so I made the decision to stay here and forge a career path for myself.
My professional goal has always been to rise as high as I can, and I could feel that I was being encouraged to do this by the company. This, coupled with the fact that I loved the people I worked with, made it certain for me that this was the place I wanted to develop my career.“
What steps did you take to move forward into the role you wanted?
“I think having a goal in mind is always key, and it may be cliché, but hard work and commitment to your goals will always pay off in some way.
For me personally, I wanted to be seen as someone reliable and a subject matter expert in my department, and I think that has paid dividends in my progression.”
What support was offered to you in order to help you progress?
“I’ve always had great support from my managers – in my Contact Centre roles Natasha Cousins and Aron Sopp encouraged me to stop doubting myself and have the confidence to progress. When I was nervous about taking on a new role, they reassured me and helped me to believe in my abilities.
When moving into the Commercial team, Chris Beeby and Callum Langan took me under their wing and helped me to develop into the role. I’ve experienced some imposter syndrome, and they’ve supported me throughout and made me feel much more comfortable, which has helped me to succeed and continue progressing.“
What are all the different roles you have had in the Group?
“I started as a Call Centre Handler, then became a Team Leader, then Call Centre Manager and finally I’m now the Business Development Manager at sopp+sopp.
At the time, the managerial role I was in at the Contact Centre was based around board reports, financials and budgeting. When Activate Group acquired sopp+sopp, this role changed into a Team Manager position, which was much more focused around people management and evolved into what the Team Manager role looks like today
I’ve always loved looking at data, statistics and spreadsheets; I think it was this side of me that I knew could be suited to the Commerical team, so this is one of the reasons why the role I’m in now appealed to me so much.“
What advice would you give to someone who wants to progress into a different role within Activate Group?
“Don’t doubt yourself! In my opinion, if I can do it, anyone can – I’m quite introverted so I’ve had to use the support from people around me and believe in myself to progress to where I am.
Apply yourself, be in a positive mindset and do the work you need to do to get into the role you want – show everyone that you’re the best at what you do.“
What is your proudest moment as part of the business?
“I have two! Firstly, back when I was a Team Manager, I was tasked by Hannah Wilcox to help alleviate some of our budgeting issues. I gained input from everyone in my team and put together a business proposal for a 4 on, 4 off rotation contract. I pitched the idea myself and was successful – it was implemented very quickly and is still in use today!
Secondly, I’m very proud to have taken the huge step into the Commercial team, and for applying myself and learning as much as I can to be successful in this role.“
What is the greatest challenge you’ve faced within your journey so far?
“I was definitely a fish out of water when I moved into the Commercial team. To go from knowing FRT like the back of my hand after working there for many years, to starting again in a completely new area of the business to me was nerve-wracking.
Moving into an external-facing position where I need to have the confidence to speak to a lot of different people as an introvert was challenging, but I’ve worked hard to push myself and I’m now much more able to confidently handle those customer meetings.“
What do you see for your future at Activate Group?
“Throughout my career, I’ve never wanted to sidestep, so I’ll only do something new if I feel like I can keep progressing even higher. I’ve always chased my manager’s role in whatever position I’ve worked in, so if the opportunity arises then this is how I’d like to continue my career, and maybe even end up in a director role!
Either way, I’m incredibly happy at Activate Group and any changes to my career that I do make will be made within this company – I love the people I work with and the job that I do.“
