Charles Beer
Company:
Crown Group
Job title:
Managing Partner
How did you get into the sector:
I checked myself out of grammar school in 1987 and got a summer job in the catering department at Chessington World of Adventures.
What do you enjoy about your role:
Working with such a diverse range of people, across so many different industries and sectors is, without a doubt, what gets me out of bed every morning.
Career high:
Being named as chief executive of the Crown Group in 2006. It was at this point that I realised that all of the hard work and effort I had put into my career up until that point had been really valued and recognised.
Before joining the Crown Group as managing director of its events catering business in 2000, I had left a very corporate environment to move to a company built on a strong entrepreneurial ethos. It took me a while to acclimatise but I was thrilled when I realised that all of my experiences had enabled me to adapt to such a different environment and make a real success of it.
Career low:
There were many lows when I may have made bad business decisions. However, I have absolutely no regrets. I honestly believe that people can’t learn without making mistakes. Sometimes a bad decision now becomes a good experience in the future.
What are your plans for the next year:
We have plans in place to develop the company’s portfolio in new markets, whilst also utilising the opportunities that the Olympics will be bringing the business across a number of platforms, including food, venue, marquee and branding service work.
The forthcoming year will also see the further development of our Crown Foundation and we hope to build on the success of its first three years, where we raised a staggering £150,000 for good causes.
We are also continuing to develop our training of staff and will be looking to develop further industry-enhancing programmes to ensure that our businesses are at the forefront of innovation in what will be a key year for the food and events industry.
What was the biggest break of your career:
Joining the Crown Group was definitely my biggest break. I have been privileged to be part of such a great business and am pleased to say that I enjoy what I do today just as much as I did on my very first day.
What are you most proud of in your career:
I can honestly say that I immensely proud of the team that I now have at the Crown Group. We have some real talent in our business and I am incredibly excited about what the future holds.
What advice would you give to people keen to progress in the industry:
Challenge the status quo and have courage in your convictions. You should never sit still in business.
Who inspires you:
I am inspired by those who have had a real passion for doing something brilliantly and have achieved success as a result, as opposed to those who wanted success first, so found something to help them achieve that. There are many, many examples of such people in business, all of whom are equally as inspirational as each other.
What do you do in your downtime:
Spend time with my wife and two beautiful children.
What question do you always ask in interviews:
I like to try and understand what makes a person tick. A CV gets an individual the interview so the next stage is seeing what motivates them.
Tips that have made you a success:
I’ve always surrounded myself with people who approach things differently to me. Whilst this has its own obvious challenges, it can only enrich your business. It sounds incredibly clichéd but you really can learn from everybody. The key is to identify people for your workforce who think differently, but are all committed to the same cause.