Ian Reynolds has recently been made a Partner at Workman. He started as a graduate in the Swindon office over a decade ago, and now heads up the team in Milton Keynes.
We caught up with him to talk about his career so far, what leadership means to him, and what’s next.
Meet Ian Reynolds, Partner
How did your career start, and what drew you into property?
What drew me into property was, weirdly, my mother-in-law. A long time ago I worked in a bank, and I didn’t like the 9 to 5 of just being in an office all the time. So we started looking at other career paths I could take, and surveying came up. That’s ultimately what I ended up doing at university, and I took it forward from there.
Walk us through your journey at Workman. How did you get to where you are today?
My journey at Workman has been absolutely fantastic. I started as a graduate in the Swindon office. I worked there for nearly seven years and had a great time. Me and my family then relocated to Warwick, and I worked in the Birmingham office for two years. I’m now heading up the Milton Keynes team.
What made you want to join Workman?
Workman came to a property fair at Nottingham Trent University a long time ago. I met a couple of them there, amongst many others, and ended up getting in contact with them – and it’s all gone from there.
What did reaching partner mean to you personally?
Reaching partner was the pinnacle, really. It was such a fantastic moment. It’s been a lot of work, but really rewarding. We’ve got some great people at Workman, and I’ve worked with some fantastic line managers over the years – it’s really thanks to them that I’m here today.
What does leadership look like in your role now?
I think action speaks louder than words a lot of the time. I’m trying to lead from the front, and I’ve got a fantastic team.
How would you describe what you do to someone outside the property industry?
It’s the classic example of being a building doctor. We work both professionally and on project work, and ultimately we’re there to assist our clients through every step of their property journey.
What project or moment are you most proud of at Workman?
The project I’m most proud of is a toilet refurbishment down in Southampton. It was the first time, following my chartership, that I’d led a scheme of that size with a large consultancy team, and with a fantastic client that we work with. Seeing it through from start to finish following chartership was fantastic.
What made you stay and build your career here?
The people – coming back to some of the people I worked with in Swindon who shaped my career. And now to be able to manage some of the team that I do – they’re fantastic, they’re brilliant. That’s ultimately what made me stay.
Workman talks about building the best culture in the sector. What does this look like?
It comes back to the people a lot of the time, both on the Property Management side and the Building Consultancy side. Everyone’s busy, and sometimes in bigger organisations things can get a little lost. I think what we’ve been doing well, more so over the last few years with the brand update and everything alongside it, looks really exciting going forward.
What do you think makes Workman different from other firms?
The work-life balance. Workman has a really good core of delivering exceptional work for our clients, but also understanding that people have families and lives, and trying to bring those things together. I think they do a really good job of that.
What would you tell someone early in their career who has their sights set on being a partner?
Enjoy yourself, but work hard. I speak to a lot of apprentices and graduates, and I think one of the key things is: do it right. That’s always been my mantra. I don’t want to be late on anything, ideally, but I’d rather go out the door having done the best that I possibly can. If you follow that, I think it will put you in good stead.
What does the next chapter look like for you at Workman?
I’m really looking forward to getting more involved with the graduates and apprentices. I started as a graduate at Workman myself, and it’s been such an exciting journey – the idea that I can now assist some of those guys on their journey excites me most.
What do you do outside of work?
I spend a lot of time on my allotment – my wife gets quite frustrated about it. I’m a keen gardener. A long time ago I spent a couple of weeks in New Zealand with a family that were completely self-sufficient, and I really liked that idea. Last year was the first year every piece of salad we had was from my garden, and this year I’ve taken on an allotment, where I spend a lot of time.
What's something about you that would surprise your colleagues?
I’ve been on TV a few times. I was on Eggheads once, when I was a freckle-faced student a long time ago, and I was on Animal Hospital back in the day.
What would you be doing if you hadn't ended up in property?
I used to work in a bank, so potentially I would have gone down that route. Gardener, maybe.
Who are the three dinner party guests you would choose, and why?
I’d have to take David Attenborough – I just think he’d be amazing. I’d probably take someone like David Jason as well. And then, as a keen Arsenal fan, I’d take Thierry Henry.
