Shaun Fooy is a senior manager of the North East of England and Tees Valley arm of the British Business Bank’s Ƶ Network. Mr Fooy works closely with business owners and intermediary networks to understand the finance need for businesses in the North East, and then advises the British Business Bank on what programs and business support is needed in the region.
What was your first job (and how much did it pay)? I had a holiday job as a hospital porter when I was at university, but my first salaried job was as a graduate trainee for Barclays, and I earned the princely sum of £10,900 per annum.
What is the best advice or support you’ve been given in business? Be yourself – don’t try and be something or someone you are not.
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What are the main changes you’ve seen in your business/sector, and what are the challenges you’re facing? I am a career banker and have seen the move to digital banking and apps, as well as the emergence of a multitude of new entrants in the banking sector creating more choice for the customer. I think banking is evolving to develop new challenges, which is making it more difficult and complex to interact with customers. The biggest challenge I see working with SME owners, is a lack of signposting and awareness of funding options from them to grow and develop their businesses.
How has the pandemic changed the way you work? It’s very much a hybrid model now, with more meetings via Teams or Zoom and less time in the car travelling to appointments – a much better use of that precious resource – time.
Who is your role model in business? I don’t have a specific business role model. If you asked me who I most admired and would have dinner with, it would likely be someone like Henry Ford or Churchill – mavericks who changed the world.
What would your dream job be? As a child I always wanted to go to sea and be a marine engineer like my father – although he died whilst I was still a child, he remains my life role model and frankly, idol.
What advice would you give to someone starting a career in your sector? Learn from the bottom up and be like a “sponge”, absorbing as much knowledge as possible.
What makes the North East a good place to do business? The people are industrious and hardworking, with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and have adapted to many changes to make this region a modern and thriving economy. Besides that, it’s a beautiful part of the world to live in.
How important is it for business to play a role in society? The Ƶ is an SME economy, and that’s very much the case in this region. A successful SME based economy can have a huge impact on the lives of the people it supports, reducing poverty and improving the chances for people to advance in their lives.
Outside of work, what are you really good at? I have always had a passion for animals and have two cats and a dog. I also volunteer regularly at a local animal rescue – it’s my passion fostered from childhood.
