Glenn Fulcher
Job Title: Regional Manager – Pacific (Australia, New Zealand & the Pacific Islands)
Business Unit: City & Guilds
My role with the City & Guilds Group sits within Kineo APAC, as a City & Guilds Qualification business unit, where I am the regional manager for our Pacific Office. We are a small team of three who look after day-to-day operations for the Pacific region. As the regional manager I regularly meet with Government, New Zealand Qualifications Authority and Industry Training Organisations. As with all small teams, I also spend time developing client relationships with centres that deliver our qualifications.
A general day for me would be some client visits where I would meet the Deans of Facility for a subject area, maybe a few tutor staff and update them with what is happening around education in our region and internationally. If I was in the office I would be helping the team with our Quality Assurance systems, organising management reports, business planning and working through our marketing and event plans.
City & Guilds has a very diverse array of qualifications in all sectors and different company groups, as with all international team members, we need to know a lot about everything as we do not specialise in just one arm of the City & Guilds Group machine. As the City & Guilds Manager for the region I have to deal with brands like SmartScreen (our resource system), Kineo (e-resource builders), ILM and loads more plus the many sectors City & Guilds offers qualifications in.
What are the key skills that someone needs in order to do a job like yours?
The main personal skill required for this type of role is customer relationship development and maintenance. As a distant branch from head office, the relationships built can stand a few ‘speed bumps’ along the way, it's how we manage these that is the effectiveness of our brand locally. Second to this is your communication skills. I have to deal, due to being a small team, with learners one day, staff on other and the next day might see a meeting with the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands. The real skill is being able to adapt to whomever you are dealing with at any point in time.
The role requires a lot of business planning, development and reporting. The nature of an international business means I have to paint a picture in reports that allows senior managers and the board to see how we are progressing with our plans within the region.
What do you enjoy about your job at the City & Guilds Group?
Knowing that I am working for a global company that can, and is making a difference in everyday lives. People who gain City & Guilds qualifications worldwide have received a life changing education that can open many doors in so many different countries. Whether it’s a foundation skill in Papua New Guinea for telecommunications or a Chef being trade-qualified in New Zealand who wants to travel the world and gain global cuisine experience, it can be life changing!