Andy has been promoted to be Managing Director of Ring Automotive Ltd in Leeds in July 2023. He joined in 2020 as Finance Director and just after Osram acquired the business from Rubicon.

Born and raised in Chesterfield, Andy now lives in Sheffield, where he trained with PwC in their former Sheffield office, qualifying as an ACA in 2008 and achieving fellowship of the institute in 2019.

He moved into industry a year after qualifying and has worked in the FMCG and distribution sectors. He has had some “real” private equity experience, having worked in two PE backed businesses, including a £2.5m fund raise.

We have known Andy for 10 years and have seen him progress to become one of the most highly regarded Finance Directors in the region. We were not surprised to see his promotion to Managing Director – we always love to see it when the FD/CFO steps up to become the MD/CEO!

Andy has a great story to share, and we were delighted that he agreed to talk to us.

Huge congratulations on your promotion to Managing Director. Was it always your ambition to become an MD? What have been the major challenges and lessons that you can share?

Thank you!  I once worked with a great Chairman who said “Finance Directors don’t tend to get distracted by the interesting stuff, but you seem different”.  I took that as a compliment at the time (I think it was meant as one).  Since leaving PwC and starting in industry I’ve always been fascinated by all aspects of running a business.  For a while now I’ve known that I would like to step up into the MD / CEO role, recognising that I still have a lot to learn but in parallel acknowledging my intention to learn quickly!

I have spent the first month talking to our people & customers.  I wanted to learn more about the areas of the business I’ve been less involved in during my time as Finance Director and to understand what our team felt they appreciate or feel we could do better as a business.  In parallel I’ve spoken to many customers to hear their perspective.  I believe that to build sustainable value in a company, you have to be relentless in the pursuit of improving your customers lives.  If you find this topic interesting read a book called “Winning on Purpose” by Fred Reichheld.

What are the advantages to any organisation of having a former FD as their MD or CEO?

Having operated at FD level for around 9 years, even during that relatively short time I’ve seen a shift in the emphasis of an FD.  The FD in any organisation now, as with any member of the board, has a responsibility towards leadership.  To understand, motivate and inspire people, across all departments, towards continuous incremental improvement.  I have been fortunate to work for the last 3 years as the FD in Ring - during that period I have been given the responsibility for purchasing, supply chain & part of the sales organisation.  From my own experience most FD’s have been logical, able to understand complex situations & for the most part pretty damn resilient!  Provided that the new MD has the ability to create a clear vision, ensure their board is composed optimally (referring both to functional & leadership capabilities) & they can bring their previous experience from their time serving as FD, I feel there’s a good opportunity to make a successful transition.

Having spoken to a few people who have made this transition before me as part of getting myself ready for the change, the one common answer to the question “what would you have done differently” has been linked to internal communication.  Thinking hard about adapting your communication style to make it accessible & relevant to your team is important.  As a result, this is high on my agenda.

The final point to make here is that the people in the business know the FD, so in that individual being promoted to MD, you have to assume that the owner / key decision makers have referenced the key people.  I don’t take that for granted personally, having a team feeling comfortable because they know the FD who will now take over as MD is great, but in 2 – 3 years do those same people feel highly motivated, fulfilled & part of an organisation which they are even more proud to be part of than they were at the start of that period?  That’s how I will be measuring my own success.

What motivated you to take the MD role at Ring & what are you excited about?

When Theresa & OSRAM talked to me about the opportunity I felt like it was a privilege.  The business is incredibly exciting, we operate across multiple customer sectors in many countries.  The business is built upon its core values being customer focus, respect, passion & one-team.  Values which resonate with me personally and which create a high level of motivation and connection for many people in our business.  The organisation right now has 140 highly motivated people & we have an end-to-end operation in Leeds.

The Ring business consists of two key product categories, the first being automotive bulbs and the second automotive accessories (such as battery chargers, dash-cameras, tyre inflators).  I’m excited about the opportunity we have in the automotive bulbs space as not only the UK market leader but also part of ams-OSRAM who are the largest global manufacturer of automotive bulbs.  I believe there is a lot more for us to do to support both end users & our customers in understanding the importance of compliant automotive lighting - you would be surprised about how many products in the UK market aren’t manufactured to perform in-line with regulations.  In the automotive accessories side of our business, I’m motivated by the opportunity for us to really define our future direction in terms of the markets we should strategically address and which product categories in turn, we should back hard.  

I have made the transition with the full support of the ams-OSRAM team which provides a motivation in itself.  Having the opportunity to collaborate with ams-OSRAM colleagues around the world makes the role even more varied & provides some great learning experiences.

So many finance professionals are attracted to working in the PE sector. The sector accounted for 33% of the appointments across Yorkshire in the last year. Why do you think it attracts so many and what are the considerations that anyone should take before making the move?

I’m not surprised by the statistic that 33% of appointments in Yorkshire in the last year were in the PE sector.  I worked in PE for over 10 years working through management positions (Financial Controller) through to board level positions.  There are significant benefits to working in PE.  Typically, you have the opportunity to work with some incredibly capable people from the PE team, both through the deal & post deal.  I spent 4 years working with the team at Intrinsic Equity in Birmingham at Director level and during that time worked with incredible entrepreneurs, fund raisers, deal makers & businesspeople.  The opportunities that exist in PE are significant. If you are willing to put a lot in, you can expect to learn a lot, quickly.

One of the things that stands out from our conversations in the past is how much value you have placed in your mentors. Who have been the biggest influences in your career and what has been the best advice they have given you?

Great question!  I’m pleased that this resonated with you whilst preparing these questions.  Surrounding yourself with people who push you to raise your game is not only important, but essential if you want to continue to grow.  I have been fortunate to have met many people over the years who have taken their own time to coach & mentor me.  

I think the principle of spending time with people who want the best for you applies both at work & outside of work.  From experience, if you operate with humility and recognise that most things should be solved or improved by looking to yourself, you will find a lot of people who are motivated to spend time providing you with guidance.  

Everyone has strengths which become “over-done” strengths when they get busy or are working under pressure.  Having people around you who are comfortable to call you out & give you the opportunity to quickly check yourself against your personal values is important.

It won’t be lost on you that I haven’t named names here!  There are too many people to call out but if they are reading this, they will know who they are.

What keeps you busy when you are not at work?!

My wife and I have three young sons Zak (5), Dan (3) and Cameron (10 months).  As my professional life is very busy, I spend the spare time that I have with the family usually involving swimming, bike riding or other outdoor activities.  When the weather is bad you will usually find us at one of the popular soft play areas in Sheffield (those of you with young kids will know where they are!).  I do enjoy riding my road bike and if you drive through the peak district on a Sunday morning you could spot me pushing my bike up the main road coming out of Hathersage towards Sheffield!

I have tried over the last few years to have time to regain perspective & step back.  Whether you do this by meditating, walking, running, praying or something else; in todays connected world taking time to step outside of the day to day, regularly, is important to maintain the right level of energy & focus.