SME News - Managing Director of the Year Awards 2024/ 36 Specialist Industrial Health & Safety MD: Kate Louise Cole HAVi is the UK’s leading specialist in providing solutions to help businesses across multiple industries comply with HSE guidelines for managing Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVs). Delivering innovative outcome led solutions, HAVi simply helps organisations make better decisions, faster! Join us as we explore this dynamic company and the woman behind its continued success… Over two million people in the UK alone are at risk of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVs) – a condition caused by exposure of the hands and arms to vibration when using powered handheld tools. Whilst the symptoms can be managed, the condition is irreversible and debilitating. However, there are preventatives available, and at the forefront of this fight is HAVi. The company aims to help organisations ‘do the right thing’ through providing effective holistic solutions to bolster compliance with Control of Vibration at Work regulations and demystify the commonly held perception that managing HAV is a complicated task. Indeed, the company boasts a range of software that enables the user to have a greater insight into the risks their organisation faces from the use of hand powered tools. From basic time management to the company’s best in class solution, ActivIQ with HAVs Risk Index™, HAVi helps large and small organisations identify current and emerging HAV risks and steers them towards targeted corrective actions. In addition, their recently launched eLearning content puts their customers in the driving seat of compliance by empowering their teams. Passion and compassion are the driving forces behind the business. It is this trait that empowers the team behind the company; they are motivated by making a positive change for clients. Through communication and teamwork, the staff have created a workplace that ensures efficacy. Consequently, the company has earned a reputation for excellence, with numerous testimonials praising the team. One customer, named G H, comments, ‘It is always nice to deal with people who love what they are doing. It is a pleasure to deal with Kate Louise and Joel - good product and the support that comes with it is even better.’ Kate Louise Cole, the company’s Managing Director, possesses 20 years of experience leading businesses within the plumbing and heating sectors. Joining the HAVi Technologies Ltd. team in 2020, she notes that, “I was attracted to trying to enact real change in an SME and drive a culture of passion and purpose.” Furthermore, Kate’s prior experience meant that she had a wealth of skillsets to draw on from utilising global supply chains, back-office processes, CRM, channel management, sales, and business leadership. Such qualities have allowed Kate to take an authentic leadership approach, hoping that this will then “create an environment for others to be successful.” She then adds, “Through this empowerment, we all see results.” This environment of empowerment has facilitated HAVi’s re-certification under the British Safety Industry Federation’s Registered Safety supplier Scheme and also for the use of their products in an explosive atmosphere (ATEX / UKEX / IECEx). Both audits noted 100% compliance in all areas for the third successive year. In order to emulate Kates’s success, she notes that it is imperative to ‘be kind’ and, ultimately, ‘be yourself.’ An authentic approach is most certainly the best option, as it allows for a real connection to be forged between employees, clients, and other stakeholders alike. Rather than having a robotic leader, employees deal with an authentic human being and all of the qualities that brings. Unsurprisingly 2024 has already been an enormously successful year for HAVi Technologies Ltd. Building on a successful portfolio of clients with additions of major bluechips and SME’s. They continue to open up new market sectors and geographies with their transparent, value add approach. One of the key elements of commercial sustainability for HAVI is growing Recurring Revenue through subscriptions. Kate and the team are proud of supercharging this stream from less than 2% of sales in 2020 to more than 30% in the financial year to May 2023. Kate remains clear that sustainable growth will always be built on a vision to provide a pragmatic and innovative, outcome led solution coupled with ethical, high integrity internal and external behaviours. Contact: Kate Louise Cole Email: [email protected] Company: HAVi Technologies Ltd Web Address: www.thehavi.com Phone: 0115 932 7002
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