Company reorganisation leads to an appetite for change

With a 25-year background in the protein food industry, Peter Allan found his Regional Managing Director role was made redundant last May following a company reorganisation.  As part of his redundancy package, Peter’s former employers offered him outplacement support via Career Evolution.

Job hunting during a pandemic

Peter explains: “Having been with the company a long time, the decision to restructure did not come as a shock. Once the dust had settled, my key focus was to find a new role.  I was pleased to accept the outplacement support, as I knew the job market would be difficult in the current environment, particularly for the type and level of role I wanted to secure.”

Career Evolution worked with Peter to ensure that his CV was more specific and purposeful, and that his LinkedIn profile reflected the tone of his CV. With so many years in the food industry, Peter already had a well-developed, global network. However, he needed to decide on what he wanted from his next position.

Identifying what’s important

Peter found the support of Career Evolution extremely positive. He said: “Career Evolution encouraged me to really think about the sector and type of role I was looking for. Director Sue Thomas also provided me with introductions and contacts with senior people in other industries, as I had identified that my new role didn’t need to be sector-specific, but rather, there were various elements that were imperative. I wanted to work for a values-based business and thrive through leading a good team of people.

“Career Evolution also helped me prepare for interviewing via Zoom, which adds a whole new element to the interviewing process.”

After exploring a number of options, including NED positions, Peter was ultimately offered the role of Managing Director for Billington Food, part of the Billington Group at the end of last year and started in his new job in January 2021. It is an ethical, values-based, family-owned business with a good customer base and Peter is excited about the opportunities to develop the business further.

Keeping on track

He concluded: “Possibly one of the most important aspects of the support from Career Evolution was the accountability and reassurance that the team provided. I worked hard developing my network and researching and contacting companies but having someone there to motivate me and sense check my action helped keep me on track.”