Conversation Corner – Chris Moran

Chris Moran has just celebrated 6 years’ service with IMD. Over these years, Chris has had a range of job roles. He started with RPP back in 2016 as a sales office administrator helping process orders and answer telephone enquiries. After a year Chris progressed on to assisting with the purchasing of stock and the bigger customer accounts often going out and visiting customers directly. In 2020 the opportunity arose for Chris to move factories over to Telford and become Assistant Factory Manager of Proteus Industrial where he has been for 2 years and has also relocated his family there.

1. What was your first job?

Apart from a paper round when I was about 12/13, I worked in a restaurant in a hotel when I left school and then moved to work behind the bar once I turned 18.

2. Are you a tea or a coffee person?

NEITHER! I hate the taste of both, so I just drink water all day long and lots of it. At least it gets me out of making them for everyone else in the office.

3. Do you have any hidden talents or hobbies?

I used to collect the old panini premier league sticker books when I was younger and have got about 10 different seasons completed sitting in my mom and dad’s garage. I’m hoping that they might be worth something in a few years when they’re “vintage”

4. What’s the top destination on your must-visit list?

I’d love to take my two boys to Disneyland Florida. I went for my 16^th birthday, and it was the best experience ever. They love rollercoasters like me so as soon as they’re a bit older I’ll definitely be looking at booking it.

5. What’s your guilty pleasure?

I’m obsessed with football. Whether its playing, watching or talking about it I just love it. Regardless of if it’s the Premier league or the Croatian 2^nd division if it’s on TV I’ll watch it.

6. What app could you not live without?

My screen time on YouTube is probably outrageous so I’d say that. I watch a lot of DIY and renovation videos as we’re currently renovating our house so that has been really helpful. Plus, I like to catch up on the football highlights and UFC fights that I’ve missed.

7. Who has influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?

Definitely my old man. He drilled a good work ethic into me and I haven’t been without a job since I left school.

8. If you were stuck on an island with three colleagues, who would you want with you?

Handy Andy, he can build anything out of anything, so I’d want him there to either be building a camp or a boat to get us off the island. The other two would have to be Canning and Pritchard from RPP. We all worked together during lockdown and that was like being on a deserted island, but we had a laugh and kept each other sane.

9. What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt whilst working at Proteus?

Not just working at Proteus but for IMD as a whole is that hard work pays off. There’s a quote that I like which is “work hard in silence and let your success be your noise”

10. What’s your favourite part about your job?

I know its cliché, but it really is something different every day and that keeps the job refreshing and enjoyable. One day I could be helping out installing new racking and the next I could be walking customers around our factory and talking to them about our bespoke products.