Time to hear from Ingmar Hermans in our next employee spotlight.
How long have you worked at Walpole Partnership?
Since the pioneering days of Walpole i.e., 2014. I always promised myself that I’d get back to a ‘real’ job if the consultancy work ever dried up, however after over 8 years of starting to work with Andy, the business is still going strong.
What’s your role at Walpole Partnership?
Jack of all trades (master of none…) or a Swiss army knife, indicating my involvement with various functions and associated roles. I’m basically Walpole Partnership’s strategist & managing partner and get particularly involved in customer engagement incl. business development & sales, programme management & project delivery, and I’m an ambassador for Walpole’s customer relationships.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
The usual things, a train driver, helicopter pilot or golf course manager. Obviously, I became none of these things, but in my current role I am thankful to have elements of the job aspirations I had as a kid – I have a good sense of direction, the ability to give a 10,000 foot view, and within project management I’m keen to inspire using a ‘work hard, play hard’ methodology.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
To have gained the insight that it is perfectly okay to still be an amateur parent continuing to learn from a bunch of professional kids (all 6 of them!).
What can you be found doing in your spare time?
Walking around in nature (i.e., the golf course) practicing the sport of golf that was very well defined by Sir Winston Churchill as “a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose.”
What one skill would you love to have or learn to do?
I’d love to learn how to master the cooking techniques that a ‘feel-good-food & drink chef’ should master – proper knife skills, making flavoursome sauces, and mixing up fancy cocktails!
If you could time travel, where would you go?
Back to the “Roaring Twenties” which refers to the 1920s. In Western society it was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the United States and Europe during which Jazz blossomed and Art Deco peaked. It was a period marked by a general feeling of novelty associated with modernity and a break with tradition, through modern technology.
What one thing really annoys you?
Narrow-mindedness that does not allow for an ongoing open line of communication.
What is your favourite film of all time?
“The Sting”, a classic movie starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford (following on from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”). The film won 7 Oscars and is famous for its use of ‘Ragtime’ music, particularly the melody “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin.
Sweet or savoury?
Both, but my sweet tooth will prevail (I’m afraid).
Click here to find out who else is on the Walpole Partnership team.
