New technical director at Ipswich flat roofing firm eyes national growth

The details: Shaun Lotay joined Axter, a Certified B Corporation, in March, following a career in the flat roofing sector spanning technical, commercial, and operational roles.

He is a founding director and chair of the Bitumen Flat Roofing Association, a role he holds alongside Axter Managing Director Phillip Wilcox-Moore.

He studied forensics at university before being offered an administration role at a roofing contractor. He later moved into contracts management and quantity surveying, before taking a sales role at a construction product supplier, where he was tasked with growing the business to the point it could afford a technical department. Having hit that target, he set up and led the firm's new technical department before moving to a large waterproofing company in an operational management role.

What he's saying: Lotay said Axter's culture and its ambitions to establish itself as a national leader had drawn him to the business.

"The company culture was a huge deciding factor on me coming here," he said. "Hearing the passion Phillip and his team have not only about flat roofing but also about sustainability was exciting.

"Company culture is very important to me – a lot of companies will talk about their culture and being people-focused, but Axter actually live it every day."

His approach: Lotay said he had spent his first weeks in post speaking to staff to build a picture of how the business operates.

"My approach with a new business is not to assume I know anything, I like to come in with an open mind and find out for myself," he said.

"There's an opportunity to discover potential blind spots in the business, comparing what the business thinks of itself to what the directors have written as strategy or intent. We can then identify where there might have been strategic drift."

What's next: Lotay said he wants to "establish Axter as the de facto leader in technical information relating to roofing and waterproofing in the UK market."

The bottom line: Lotay's appointment signals a fresh focus on strategy and technical leadership at the Ipswich firm as it looks to grow its national footprint.

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