Business

Competitive streak pushes manager Paul to be the best he can be

Paul Bellew
Paul Bellew Paul Bellew

THIS week's High Flyer is Paul Bellew, business manager of the UK Temporary Division at TTM Healthcare.

What was your first job?

My very first job was as a barman when I was a student in Limerick. I remember it well and loved every minute! Following university, I worked as a recruitment consultant at AHP Recruitment before moving to TTM Healthcare.

What qualifications do you have?

I have always had a passion for history and politics since school and I decided to study these subjects at university. I completed my BA in History and Politics at Limerick University followed by my MA in Peace and Development Studies.

I feel that it is important to continue education throughout my professional career and at present I am completing International Selling Programme through Enterprise Ireland.

What’s been the highlight of your career to date?

Working in such a fast paced environment where change is continuous it can be difficult to stop and identify highlights. I think the opportunity to lead the team in new markets like Northern Ireland and the UK is the highlight to date.

What do you attribute your success to?

I see myself as a highly ambitious and motivated individual and strongly believe in the power of teamwork, so I focus a lot of my time and effort in and developing my team. I’m really grateful for the ongoing support I receive from my colleagues and managers at TTM as they have helped me become the person I am today.

If you could change one thing about doing business in Northern Ireland, what would it be?

The uncertainly shrouding Brexit is concerning for businesses across Northern Ireland. As the exit date draws ever closer, businesses are becoming increasingly anxious as there seems to be no clear solutions to questions raised during the exit negotiations.

How would you describe yourself to someone who’d never met you?

Competitive, both on the field and off. I play hurling and always like to win. This is a trait that sticks with me in my professional life as well as in my personal life and drives me to be the best I can be, each and every day.

How do you get the best out of people who work for you?

I work hard building solid relationships and great rapport with my colleagues as I think it is important to ensure people feel valued and appreciated. I demonstrate empathy and always try to see any issues from different perspectives before deciding on the best approach moving forward. I think shared goals are instrumental in achieving success. When everyone is working together for the same result it creates a team spirit which is essential in reaching and smashing goals.

What’s your greatest passion outside work and family?

I love playing sport, particularly hurling. I am a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen and have attended 21 of his concerts in Europe and the US. I have a real travel bug and love seeing different parts of the world, immersing myself in their culture. I am just back from Cuba which has been the highlight to date.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

I love working with other people and helping others realising their own potential is really rewarding. I work as part of a great team and it is a pleasure to hep each and every one of them grow and develop in their roles.

Tell us something interesting about yourself?

I attended Barack Obama’s inauguration in January 2009 with a group of friends from Limerick University. We were on holiday in New York and headed to Washington DC to take it in. Despite the freezing cold it was an amazing day capped off by three of us being interviewed by CBS news as to why we made the trip from Ireland.

Have you any unfulfilled ambitions?

Loads, mainly places to visit. As I explained, I love to travel and although I have visited lots of incredible places, there are still so many I’m yet to see and would love to get some of them ticked off my bucket list. I’d love to visit Colombia and Costa Rica particularly.

If you could swap jobs with someone else for the day, who would it be and why?

I think I would have to be an opinionated sports columnist with the freedom to write about any topic I choose!

:: Having operated in the UK and internationally for over 15 years, healthcare recruitment business, TTM Healthcare, is now working in Northern Ireland. An open day is taking place on February 26 from 11am to 6pm in the Europa Hotel, Belfast. To find out more and to register visit www.ttmhealthcare.co.uk/northern-ireland-open-day