John Barker; my progression story
John Barker- Where did my career begin?
I joined the military back in 2005, as a Weapons Engineering Artificer working on Nuclear Submarines – specialising in the maintenance of radio communications equipment.
As part of my training, I was able to gain a Foundation Degree in Electrical Engineering from Portsmouth University, which I could then draw upon throughout my career, finishing as a Section Senior Rate.
After almost 10 years I was forced to leave the service due to medical discharge, following a back injury that prevented me from returning to sea again – which resulted in quite a drastic career change…
The start of my igus® journey
In late 2014 I joined igus® as an External Sales Engineer, focusing on e-chain® and chainflex® cable solutions for customers in the East of England. This was completely different than anything I had done before, and I was pleasantly surprised that I was taken on without experience.
Fortunately for me, igus® places a huge focus on its people and their development, and that meant I was able to get the guidance I needed to adapt and grow in this very new environment – hopefully, becoming a valuable addition to the team.
In early 2017 I became the chainflex® cable product manager, which was a great opportunity for me to develop new skills and overcome new challenges. The biggest change this had for me is that it helped me truly realise just how global igus® really was – I was able to attend International Product Manager meetings at our head office in Germany and network, drawing experience from the other Product Managers who had come in from igus® subsidiaries worldwide. This has continued throughout every role that I have been in, continued training and support from our head quarters in Cologne as well as internal training in the UK.
What happened in next?
igus® has continued to believe in and invest in me, recently sponsoring me for my academic study where I have been working through my master’s in business administration (MBA) as a Distance Learning Alumni of Warwick Business School.
This has really helped me to elevate my strategic understanding of my role and how I can provide a better service to both customers and colleagues, enabling me to be far more effective in my work activities.
In 2022 I was promoted to readychain® Product Manager, which was an exciting opportunity that required my family to relocate to Northamptonshire, something igus® were incredibly patient and supportive with.
This role transition has been an enjoyable rollercoaster ride, moving from product distribution to production services, but I am fortunate to lead a highly driven and supportive readychain® team. Due to the complex nature of the products we produce in our department, we have been pioneering new technologies, processes and lean concepts and igus® as an organisation has both enabled and encouraged me to take this further each and every day. I thoroughly enjoy the challenges that both myself and the team face on a daily basis and its with these challenges that make us grow stronger week in, week out.
What John Barker likes about igus®?
“It’s people.
igus® is full of talented and motivated colleagues, many of whom socialise together outside of work too. That for me is a great signal that a company has created a great working environment for people who share similar core values.”
If you have any questions regarding readychain® enquiry’s please email John directly. You can contact John Barker directly via our contact page today. Click here
Here you can read the last progression story of the Sales Manager, Steve Slater https://blog.igus.co.uk/steve-slater-my-progression-story/
