The Billington Group would not be where it is without its amazing teams. In this ‘Our People’ series, we share a bit more about the diverse roles across our businesses and provide some insight into what makes Billington employees tick!
Name: Mark Johnston
Job title: Health Safety & Continuous Improvement Manager
How long have you been with Billington Group?
I joined the Billington Group as part of the acquisition of Carrs Billington Agriculture from Carrs Group in October. I have worked in the group for over 4 years and moved into my current role in March 2022.
Previously I have worked in Food Manufacture, Automotive, Nuclear and Defence prior to joining Agriculture. These roles have been Production and Operational based managing large teams of people and delivering large packages of work using accredited management systems.
Describe a typical day in your role:
Typical day will consist of supporting the site teams with any health, safety environment guidance. Preparing reports, reviewing documentation, creating procedures, supporting senior management, training the site teams in best practice to ensure the business is compliant. We have over 40 sites from Oban to Brecon covering a large part of the country.
What’s the best part of your job?:
Working with lots of different people from all over the country making sure the relevant support is there day to day, whilst keeping people safe and the business compliant.
What are the biggest challenges you face when working as a HSE/ Continuous improvement Manager?
How diverse the business can be makes it a challenge aligning policies and procedures.
Can you tell us about something you’ve enjoyed working on recently?
Aligning the CBAL reporting into the wider group after the acquisition. Very challenging piece of work but really enjoyed the support the teams gave with the change in information and frequency.
What makes the agriculture sector exciting to work in?
The diversification of the sector makes it exciting along with the passionate people. You also get a feel for how important the sector is for the UK.
What three key skills would you say you need when working as a HSE/Cont improvement manager?
Leadership
Communication
Organisation
What advice would you give to someone looking to get started in a role like yours?
The role can be challenging however it’s also very rewarding professionally and personally. If you want to learn about the business you work in and be a key part of its future, health, safety and environment is a fantastic role to get started in.
What makes The Billington Group stand out as a great place to work?
Teamwork, communication, and a supportive culture.
Now a bit more about you….
Coffee or tea?
Coffee
What’s your favourite guilty pleasure food?
Salt & Vinegar Crisps
What’s your favourite dish to cook at home?
Lasagne
Favourite weird food combinations? We love salt and vinegar crisps and chocolate, or the famous/infamous McDonald’s fries dipped in a milkshake.
Cold coffee because I always get side tracked and end up drinking it cold.
What do you get up to outside of work?
I am a keen road cyclist and road runner. Often taking part in various challenges over the year when time allows around a busy family life.