Commercial and Marketing Director, Stacey Lucas, is celebrating working for Sontay for 20 years. Can she remember her first day and what has kept her at Sontay for so long?

 

Stacey applied to work at Sontay as a Customer Service Advisor, she immediately fell in love with her role and had to quickly learn about HVAC and Climate Control products that she never knew even existed before, never mind how important they were.

 

“The products were intriguing, and I found that they promptly stuck in my brain!  I also found that I understood what they did and the part they played in a BMS quite easily” she recalls. “I do remember my first day and trying to learn everyone’s names. The company had a real family feel and there were lots of characters I was looking forward to getting to know.”

 

Stacey was able to progress in her role by taking on tasks within the sales and marketing department at Sontay. Her roles included Customer Service Supervisor, Sales Executive, Marketing Executive, and Sales Support Manager before she was promoted to her current role - Commercial and Marketing Director. During this time, she gained experience in Technical Support, Internal Sales, Despatch and even Purchasing. With previous roles in Accounts and Marketing and studying Business, Stacey had gained an incredible in-depth and rounded knowledge of the workings of a business.

 

It is Stacey’s amazing ability to help and support people that has defined her time for many at Sontay. But this is not what she enjoys the most about her job.

 

“I enjoy finding solutions to problems, it gives me a real feeling of satisfaction and supports solid relationships. There is something about Sontay that really gets under your skin and pulls you in. Many people have been there for more than 10 years and would say the same thing. It becomes part of your life.  I also really enjoy the technical aspect and ensuring I know as much about the industry and its workings as possible.”

 

“I genuinely care about Sontay and feel that the company has always been there to support me through any difficult times in my life and I will always give back.”

 

Stacey cannot pick a personal highlight in the past 20 years because there have been so many! By endeavouring to improve year-on-year, every highlight has always eclipsed by the next. But with 20 years’ experience in the sector, she has learnt an important lesson.

 

“I have learnt to embrace other people’s opinions and points of view with tolerance and understanding,” she explains. “There are many situations where there is no right or wrong, you just have to do what you think is right. Empathy goes a long way in everything we do from personal relationships to our marketing messages.”

 

So, with 20 years’ experience in the construction industry Stacey has seen a great deal of changes in the sector. The biggest being the reliance on new technologies such as the Cloud to manage data and the ability to manage buildings remotely. “This would have been unimaginable 20 years ago!” concludes Stacey.

 

So, what inspires Stacey as she continues to grow the business for Sontay?

 

“I gain inspiration from everywhere and anywhere. From my 93-year-old grandmother to my five-year-old son as well as colleagues past and present. People, places, sights, sounds, attitudes, compassion, and energy all inspire me!”

 

Sontay has given Stacey the opportunity to learn and grow ever since she joined the team all those years ago. It has provided her with training and allowed her to take hold of projects and explore new ideas and concepts.

 

As Stacey explains, Sontay is like a two-way street. “You get out what you put in. This encourages you to always give more! I enjoy a challenge and I never shield away from any challenge. There is always a solution, you just have to find it.”

 

We wish Stacey a happy 20th Year at Sontay and many more years to come!