Phil started his journey with Endava as a Technical Support Engineer more than 13 years ago in a small showroom on Liverpool Street Station in London. Ever since he has been adding on the top of each experience learnings from the next one. As a Delivery Manager, he now is in charge of some of the company’s biggest accounts, gaining and continuously nurturing our clients’ trust. Let’s meet him and discover how giving pre-game speeches at rugby games teaches you to get the best out of your teammates, colleagues and eventually, your customers.

Describe your professional path within the company.

I joined Endava in 2004 as a Technical Support Engineer. Back in those days there were a handful of us who worked out of a converted car showroom near Liverpool Street Station.

Over the next 4-5 years I had a number of technical and Line Management roles, but soon realised my passion wasn’t being stuck in a chilly data Centre in Canary Wharf, but that of interacting directly with our clients, developing and building trust-based relationships.

The Client Support Manager role didn’t exist as we know it today, so my first experience of Account Management was to work closely with the Head of Managed Services to attend client Service Reviews and generally learn the ropes. Over time, our clients grew and it was clear that a dedicated Account Management role was needed. I became the inaugural CSM within Managed Services and was assigned to managing a very important account.   

I have since managed a number of accounts, both within Managed Services and as a Delivery Manager, and I have been lucky enough to travel all over the world visiting our clients’ offices and meeting some great people along the way. 

Tell us about what drives you at Endava.

It’s a cliché, but the thing I like most amount my work is the people. Not just the teams I work with at Endava, but also, believe it or not….our clients! Working across multiple accounts has given me the opportunity to experience a wide range of personalities and characters which I wouldn’t have had exposure to in other roles. 

There have been a number of proud moments over the years but the one that springs to mind is when one of our clients contacted Managed Services to advise that their existing Head of IT had left the business and asked if I could step in take the role on an interim basis. Although this may not sound particularly dramatic, the fact they had reached out to us demonstrated a level of trust in me and what Endava does, which meant a lot to me. 

My proudest moment however was meeting my amazing wife Lianne at Endava – we are celebrating our 10th anniversary in April and have a beautiful 2 year old boy, Jake. Ultimately it’s those two who drive me.

How would your colleagues describe you in one sentence? 

It depends who you speak with but probably……. Tall (and hopefully something along the lines of patient, calm, supportive and empathetic). 

Tell us more about yourself outside of work.

I’ve been a keen sportsman for most of my life and played competitive rugby since I was 8.  I knew that rugby training twice a week and playing every Saturday wouldn’t fit with having a new family so I temporarily hung up my boots when Jake was born. I am sure there is a Vet’s team out there somewhere that will take me in a few years. 

In terms of something you may not know, I was a sports model with my own agent for several years and worked with the England Squad, Nike, The British Lions, Sky and RBS. My biggest achievement though is of course my boy Jake.

There are definitely comparisons between playing a team sport like rugby and the work I do. As captain of my rugby side, I would have to prepare and give pre-game speeches before big games to 14 lads who are all looking up to you to give them confidence and inspiration. I had to know how to get the best out of people and tailor how I interacted with various personalities to get the best out of them. Although the people I work at Endava are generally smaller (and with slightly fewer broken noses), my experience surely helps to build a broad skillset of people skills.

What advice would you give yourself if you were starting work at Endava today?

It’s hard to pick something that I would tell a younger me to change, since I truly enjoyed my experience in Endava. If I had to choose though, I’d probably say to always try to remember to make the best of each moment and not to stress about the small things.