In the first of our Who? What? Where? short interviews, we catch up with Joanna Swash, Group CEO of Moneypenny
How would you describe yourself?
Authentic, compassionate, and always optimistic. And a little bit quirky.
Where is home? And work?
Home and work are Wrexham. I love my interiors and I am always coming up with new concepts. And work is in the fabulous Moneypenny HQ, with all our brilliant people, a treehouse, and a resident cow!
What did you want to be when you were younger?
I wanted to go into retail management. I have always loved customer service and working with people and clients. My first job, aged 14 was in a fish and chip shop. It wasn’t glamorous in any way; I was washing dirty pots from the café and the greasy paraphernalia from the shop. All for £1.50 per hour. After only two weeks on the job Mel, who ran the café, went on holiday and I was parachuted into a pinny and front of house.
This was my first foray into liaising with people. One particular day was extremely busy and will always stick in my mind. As I rushed to plonk a couple of plates of fish and chips on a table, an elderly woman touched my arm and said “I know you are very busy love, but it doesn’t hurt to smile.”
This comment has stayed with me for life and has really helped both in business and personally too – a smile on your face is contagious and allows us to empathize and even experience other people’s feelings, something that is really important as a business leader.
What do you love most about the industry you are in?
Moneypenny handles over 20 million calls and live chats for in excess of 21,000 businesses and what I love is the trust that these businesses put in us to do what we do best so that they can do the same.
I am always inspired when I learn the stories behind the businesses and of the people who have worked so hard, especially in recent times, to be successful. As we partner with more and more businesses, large and small, it is fascinating to learn from their successes and failures, as we support them, and they support us.
Name a few of your favourite places to be …
Home in Wrexham with my two teenagers, that time is something that you just can’t put a value on. We are also fans of North Wales where we have spent many days taking in the sea air and all the surroundings.
Further afield, Majorca is one of my favourite destinations and I count down the days until we visit each time and soak up some sun and hospitality.
What / who inspires you?
As a business leader, I am always learning, and always on the lookout for inspiring stories from other leaders, other industries, and other countries. More often than not it is the honesty with which they embrace their tale, especially when it’s been a failure, and treat it as a lesson learned that inspires me.
We could do with a bit more of that entrepreneurial spirit in Britain and it has been amazing to see all the businesses which have evolved or started up since the pandemic hit.
What was the last gift you gave someone?
I was given a pair of special limited-edition Rob and Ryan socks that we had made up to celebrate their ownership of Wrexham FC, by our marketing team. They were so special; I hadn’t even taken them out of the packet. I felt so very guilty for having them though, that I re-gifted them!
Tell us a secret/fun fact?
I last had a pony when I was ten years old and, now in my late forties, I have just got another one. I am petrified. As a result, I joined the Sh*t Eventers Unite group on Facebook, which is basically a place for people to share their rubbishness without judgment. It is hilarious.
Who or what would you put into Room 101?
The Big I Am. There is no room for people who think that they are better than anyone else and have the ego to match. This applies in the big, wide world in general but also to business leaders as they need to learn to leave their egos at the door. Everyone is the same deep down and it is important to remember this.
What’s been your biggest life lesson?
THAT I CAN. What I thought would be my goal in life actually wasn’t. Until I learned to understand myself and my purpose, I couldn’t set my goals – which need revisiting, revising, and sometimes completely scrapping, by the way. Believe in yourself and trust your instincts.
