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Leading Change With Paul Winchester

Our ‘Leading Change With’ interview series hopes to offer an insight into the faces behind Mer – who we are, what inspires us, and why we love working in the EV charging industry.

Paul Winchester, Head of Operations at Mer Fleet Services, is second up in the series. We spoke with him about his experience in the EV charging industry, what he finds rewarding about his job, his favourite green initiative, and more.

You can also watch Paul’s interview on our YouTube channel.

 

Working in the EV Charging sector

How and when did you get into this industry?

I’ve been in the electrical industry all my working life. I first got into EV in 2010 when the Nissan Leaf was launched. I worked for an energy company at that time, and we were heavily involved with the implementation of the hardware in people’s homes and in the local branches.

What do you find most rewarding about your job?

I think being in Operations, obviously every day is different, and you never get two days the same. There’s always a lot of things going on. We’ve been going through a massive change and there’s changes within the industry all the time. There’s the implementation of the new smart charging regulations, which will only benefit us as we install a new infrastructure.

"that's our job as professionals. When we are approached from customers that we’re providing them with the right infrastructure for their needs."

 

The EV Industry

How can we encourage more people to adopt EVs?

Speaking from my own perspective and things that I’ve kind of encountered, it’s got to be more practical. It’s got to be more reliable. You know they’re fundamentally the things that the customers need, that the customers want. And I think that’s our job as professionals. When we are approached from customers that we’re providing them with the right infrastructure for their needs.

local ev charging

What are your industry predictions for the next 12 months?

I can only say and just based on kind of what’s evident now from customers, the jobs, the work that’s coming through, certainly through Sales and into Operations, everybody’s dipped their toe into the EV market and you can see now by the scale of the jobs that the jobs are only getting bigger. So, I can only see it booming and being really good for our business.

"I would just say go for it ... it's a fantastic industry to get into so absolutely get my thumbs up and go for it"

 

Sustainability

What is your favourite green initiative?

I don’t really have one favourite, obviously I’m always going to say the electric car because I love driving EVs. I think they’re a cracking piece of kit, they’re only getting more and more sophisticated and the specs are much better on them now.

Working at Mer & advice for entering the EV industry

What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?

I’ve probably got two. There’s one that kind of resonated with me when I was little, which came from my Grandad, which was set your stall and you’ll always get what you want for whatever reason that always stuck. I do have one at work which I’ve always stuck by which is don’t ask anybody to do anything that you wouldn’t be prepared to do yourself. And that’s how I manage my teams and I kind of stick by that mantra.

What is your favourite thing about working for Mer?

Probably the easiest question to answer out of them all: it’s the values, it’s what they stand for, but most of all, it’s the people. It’s the people that give me that shot in the arm every day to come to work and to do my best. I work with the best bunch of people that I would ever wish to ask for. So all day long, absolutely, it will be the people.

About Mer

What piece of advice would you give to someone who is entering the EV industry?

I would just say go for it. There’s loads of opportunities, it’s changing all the time. When I think back to when I joined Mer two years ago, when I look at how many new people we’ve had join the business, it’s really exciting and it stands us in real good stead for the future. Just to see those people coming in and out of the office every day and thriving and learning new skills and developing, it’s a fantastic industry to get into so absolutely get my thumbs up and go for it.

Beyond the office

What do you do when you are not working?

Like most people I’ve got a young family, so we’re always out and about doing stuff. We’re fortunate that we live in a beautiful part of the world. Anybody that’s been watching Robson Green lately on ITV shows this, I spend a lot of time up on the Northumberland coastline.

 

Watch the full interview on our YouTube Channel.