Last updated at 08:10, Wednesday, 05 October 2011

ROB Cairns, 60, is the chief executive of Furness Building Society and is due to retire next month.

Rob Cairns

What was your first job?
Trainee store manager at Littlewoods. I spent most of the day walking around the store on the lookout for shoplifters, which was not very motivating and I always went home with extremely sore feet.

How did you get your current job?
By obtaining many years’ varied experience in different positions in the building society industry as well as getting my banking qualifications.
I’ve been trainee manager at the Newcastle-upon-Tyne branch of Abbey National Building Society, assistant branch manager at Carlisle, branch manager of the Banbury branch of Britannia Building Society, assistant secretary of Cumberland Building Society, then assistant general manager and within six months, deputy chief executive.
After 14 years with the Cumberland, I felt that I would end my career there but completely out of the blue I received a phone call from a headhunter asking if I was interested in being considered for the chief executive role at Furness Building Society and the rest, as they say, is history.

Describe the company you work for in one sentence.
A fantastic mutual organisation that prides itself in being customer-centric, offers some great mortgage and savings products and really cares about the communities in which it operates.

How many hours do you work a week?
In excess of 60, which is probably why I always look shattered!

How many people are you responsible for?
We employ more than 160 staff.Seven staff report to me directly.

What’s your greatest achievement?
Getting nominated for the CN Group’s Lifetime Achievement award.

How do you think your employees would describe you in three words?
The printable version might be fair, conscientious, passionate.

What gives you the biggest work buzz?
Seeing our staff getting promoted within the organisation as the sky’s the limit at the Furness, and achieving our targets, particularly in this difficult economic environment.

What’s your motto at work?
Work hard, make a profit, respect people, enjoy yourself.

What’s the best thing about being a boss?
Having an interest in every aspect of the business and flying the flag for the Furness at every opportunity.

What’s the worst thing about being a boss?
It’s tough at the top and the buck definitely stops here – it can be quite lonely at times with no-one above you to bounce ideas off. But we’ve got a great senior management team here who are always around to help.

Your first car?
Austin A40 with no second gear! It was hardly a babe magnet!

What’s the best thing about doing business in Cumbria?
People are so friendly.

If we arrived at your office today, what item might we be surprised to find on your desk?
Aftersun lotion, but it does get very sunny on Walney Island!

Something your employees would be surprised to find out about you...
I used to be engaged to Glenda Jackson’s youngest sister but when Glenda became famous, her sister was the person to be seen about with, and she dumped me!

First published at 14:55, Tuesday, 04 October 2011
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk