Profile
Employer
Fitness Industry Association – we’re the representative body of the UK health and fitness sector, with a mission to promote and protect the sector, provide education and raise standards, and work to get more people, more active, more often in pursuit of a healthier nation.
Describe your typical working day
My typical working day could involve representing the FIA to a Secretary of State to a member of the public contacting me to understand what standards of education they should expect of their fitness instructor.
I lead a team that is responsible for promoting and protecting the industry; influencing and creating policy; and, developing strategic partnerships and projects that bring benefits to FIA members.
This is focused around an industry strategy which aims to establish FIA members as the hubs of efforts to promote physical activity in local communities, upskill our “army” of professionals, establish exercise as a routine part in the prevention, treatment and management of disease, and support the industry to improve the collection, collation and use of data and research.
My typical working day could easily be swamped by a series of meetings and discussions and I have to make a conscious effort to stay out of them and focus on what is going to have the biggest impact on the various projects that I work on.
This can usually involve writing discussion papers to prompt thinking, preparing proposals to potential partners and making sure that my team is supported to achieve what is expected of them.
Why do you love what you do?
I work in a seriously ambitious organisation; that makes coming to work each day a worthwhile experience as we are always asking what can we do to do make something within our organisation better?
We are in a constant phase of development, always looking for a new partnership, project or concept that moves our organisation forward and brings more benefit to our members.
I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the founding fathers of the industry as it finds itself today. Sometimes frustrating, but always motivating and stretching. Having people to demand more from you is really important and keeps you looking ahead.
Seeing how much the FIA has developed in recent years makes me proud to say that I have played a part in helping it to do so.
What are the key factors to doing it well?
Creativity and a thick skin.
Creativity –my role is all about trying to see a new angle, and new opportunity or craft a new idea.
A thick skin, in that a large number of the ideas are inevitably duds, likely to be dragged through the mud, tarnished as examples of lunacy and brought up as reminders of why my next idea shouldn’t be listened to.
As long as you are constantly creative, there will be ideas that really take off and make a major impact on what we do.
Words of wisdom - what have you been told or learnt that will help others aspiring to your job and any top tips:
Development is not something that is delivered to you via a PowerPoint presentation from a master trainer; it is something that you have the opportunity to secure when you take on added responsibility and produce ever better results, every day.
Always have the ability to self-assess your strengths and weaknesses and don’t be afraid to embrace your biggest weaknesses and focus on improving them.
For those that want a job like yours, are there any points that should be seriously considered before embarking to achieve this goal:
Make sure that you believe in the cause that you are going to work on. It would be tough to do what I am doing for an industry that I had little affinity or affection for.
Education & Experience
Educated to degree or equivalent:
First Class Honours BA Degree, International History and Politics
Masters Degree by Research
Does your job require vocational qualifications?
No
Number of recognised vocational training courses you have achieved:
0
Previous roles that gave you the experience you needed for your current job include:
A waiter for 7 years at TGI Fridays! Nothing helps you to learn to read people than serving them burgers and chips and anticipating their every whim.
If after an hour, someone is not only willing to pay the price presented to them but pay on top as a result of something you’ve done, that’s a transferable skill that’s useful in any business. Except in this one, I don’t get to keep the tips!
How many years relevant work experiences have you had before your current job:
One previous spell as an intern
The Person
How did you decide to follow this career path and what attracted you?
I had two main interests growing up – politics and sport. It wasn’t until I left university that I realized that there was a way to combine the two – the politics of sport, and how to secure more funding for it, improve levels of participation and secure a greater appreciation for the impact it has on society.
I was fortunate to be offered an internship with a small charity with a particular interest in this area and that set me off. When I completed my master’s degree and saw an opportunity with the FIA which was perfect.
They offered me an internship and over the course of the past five years, have provided me with opportunities to develop my career.
What character traits do you have that suit you to this job?
Having a sense for how to understand the positions and attitudes taken by other people.
Your top professional feel good moments:
Attending the FIA Flame Awards every year – seeing 800 people gathering to celebrate the best the industry have to offer. Seeing how the winners react makes you realize how much they respect the institution I represent.
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