Mark Seymour is our regional manager, heading up the ops team for UK Cleanrooms. He manages all the day-to-day activities on the construction sites. He is heavily involved in Health and Safety and manages his teams aiming to empower them and ensure they successfully deliver on projects. Mark also gets involved in business development and tendering activities and is on hand to help with anything else the business needs.

Ardmac’s mantra – to be a contractor of choice – is something that Mark feels is well embedded within the business saying; “We all buy into it, and we all look at how we can play our part in contributing to it. Anyone we deal with gets treated the same, no matter what, so we always represent a united approach.”

For Mark, inevitably every day is different and comes with new challenges. At the beginning of the day, Mark checks in with his site teams, making sure they have everything they need and helping where-ever possible. The rest of the day involves systematically working through the different aspects of his role. Checking up on paperwork and checking in to Ardmac’s remote project software Procore.

COVID-19 has inevitably brought about challenging aspects, but Mark was very clear about the positive consequences of this saying: “Over the last 18 months, thanks to our systems, we have been able to continue with business quite well despite COVID. Thanks to Procore, we know we can work collaboratively on latest, live information and still work remotely.”

The best part of Mark’s job is, by far, being on the construction sites. Whilst he loves the management side of his role in empowering others and learning himself, he still loves to roll up his sleeves and get involved. Mark continues: “I really enjoy the camaraderie that comes from the site team coming together to deliver on a common goal. I am also really fortunate to have the opportunity to view things from a senior management point of view, building key relationships that really make a big impact on the business.”

 

Prior to working for Ardmac, Mark worked in construction all over the world on some major projects in the UK and Middle East. He worked for Siemens, in the gas, water and nuclear industries and in clean rooms in other business sectors. Mark said, “attention to detail and precision is really important in the pharmaceutical industry, it’s about making sure all the boxes are ticked properly and safely. I believe that if you have to put the brakes on to make the job right, then you should have the confidence to do it, change what needs changing and ultimately succeed safely without worrying about a date in the diary.”

“Safety is paramount, and we make sure that everyone on site has that understanding. We encourage them to speak up if they see problems, if things don’t feel right, they stop and deal with it. We need to ensure people are doing their jobs right so that they go home safely at the end of the day.”

Mark is also one of Ardmac’s trained mental health first aiders. He said, “being a mental health first aider has really enabled me to support my team during this difficult period. It has really helped me manage my own mental health and that of friends, family, and colleagues as well. I certainly feel better placed to lend assistance and encourage conversation.

His top two mental wellbeing tips are – going to the gym and spending time with family. Over the last 12 months, life has really made him appreciate what he’s got.

With a single figure handicap at golf, Mark is a keen golfer and family man. With a wife and daughter who is starting out in her career pathway, he is looking forward to getting back to a holiday in the sun with them very soon.

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