From Apprentice to Managing Director

A Coventry company, which produces a range of perimeter security solutions, is building on a 15 years partnership Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training.  The first Apprentice employed at the company in 2003 by Chamber Training was Chris Hackett and he is now the Managing Director, proving that employees can achieve their dreams with the right support and guidance.

Harper Chalice provides a range of perimeter security solutions which is tailored to meet specific requirements.  It is an employee owned business which ensures that everyone is committed to the firm’s success by providing the best possible services to its customers.

Commenting on the company’s longstanding relationship with Chamber Training, Chris Hackett, Managing Director said: “Over the past 15 years, we have engaged with a number of Apprenticeship and training programmes with Chamber Training including the most recent Apprentice who joined us in September 2018.  The team at Chamber Training offer a complete range of business led training courses through to leadership and management training, all outside of the normal apprenticeship programmes.  The training can be beneficial and supportive of all levels of the organisation and the courses offer huge opportunities for networking.”

Karen Devany, Account Manager at Chamber Training remarked: “With the right attitude and a willingness to learn, there can be tremendous opportunities for Apprentices to grow into a senior member of the team.  With over 30 years’ experience, our stats show that 96% of employers would recommend Chamber Training as we can offer highly flexible programmes to match employers’ needs.”

Commenting on how Chamber Training has helped with his impressive career path, Chris said: “Throughout my Apprenticeship with Chamber Training, I attended a number of additional training courses including ILM Management courses and other general business skills training such as Marketing, Project Management and International Trade.

“The Apprenticeship gave me an opportunity to progress to Chartered Accountancy status.  I found that the rounded training also helped me to develop the skills I needed to progress to Operations and Finance Director in 2011 when I was heavily involved in the delivery of a multi-million pound project for the London Olympics in 2012. Following this success, I was appointed General Manager in 2014 and then Managing Director in 2016. We have since achieved great success with significant commercial growth and the ability to take on further Apprentices.”