ACR Journal

ACR industry October | November 2021 46 WOMEN IN ACR Stacey Evans is the indirect channel manager for Hitachi UK & Ireland. Having started her new job during lockdown, she discusses the challenges that had to be overcome and the opportunities ahead for the HVAC industry. for next year. I joined the business in March 2021, which was mid-lockdown, so it’s been very strange to start a new job because everyone was working remotely. What gives you the most job satisfaction? Giving great customer service. In my opinion, if you provide a great service, you’ll always have repeat business and generate word-of-mouth recommendations, particularly as HVAC is such a close-knit community. I’m a great believer in the saying “people buy from people”, and it’s important we deliver on our promises. If I say I’ll come back on a customer query today, I will, even if I don’t have the answer, because it’s important to keep them in the loop. It’s reassurance for the customer that their query is important and is being dealt with. If you’ve got a problem, there’s nothing worse than getting no response. That’s very frustrating. What attracted you into the industry? My background is in business development, and I was o…ered a role with one of the HVAC market leaders in their corporate team; I just knew it was a great opportunity. So for me, it was about having those commercial conversations around heating and cooling, engaging with customers and internal teams, but very much on the commercial relationship development side. What excites you about the industry? I’d say it’s the growing heat pump market. The opportunity is huge, and Hitachi has some great products coming that we can’t wait to shout about. The ever-changing legislation is gearing up for the switch from boilers to heat pumps and will drive the change. I welcome the Government’s commitments to renewables that have renewed interest in our industry, particularly heat pumps for new build and retrofit markets. It’s being talked about in the press much more, and this drives conversations. I’m getting calls now from traditional boiler distributors saying they want to get onboard with heat pumps. RHI Future Homes Standard and the Clean Homes Grant may be the starting point, and more will come out to drive demand - but the commitment needs to be maintained. It’s an exciting time to be in the HVAC industry, knowing that we can play a key role in leading the UK and Ireland towards decarbonising their heating and domestic hot water requirements with renewable heat pump products. What are your career hopes for the future? The next step is MD, just kidding! I’ve only recently started this role and it has so much potential. Hitachi is expanding, and I’m enjoying collaborating with our new direct channel manager, Tom Hall, to grow Volume 7 No.6 What was your first job? My first job was in IT recruitment, and I loved it – getting to know the candidates and clients and matching people to roles. The listening and people skills I developed during that time have been beneficial at every step of my career, particularly since my move into HVAC in 2010. Tell us about your current role and company. I’m the indirect channel manager for Hitachi UK & Ireland, working with and supporting our indirect customers. My role is to oversee our distributor & wholesaler channel, working with my team Kevin Lucas and Lisa Bishop, to look after our existing customers and develop our growth strategy Stacey Evans

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