2008-02-14
Have you ever wondered what the industry's influential figures have on their desk? From psychedelic fun lamps to counterfeit combating CDs, you can tell a lot about a person by their desk. This is why Voltimum's roving reporter, Frankie Snobel, scoped out the desk of ESC Director of Charitable Affairs, Phil Buckle.
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Born and raised amongst the sweet shores of Brighton, Phil started his career in the industry as an apprentice electrician. He then found engineering work at the post office, where he worked in building services and sorting machine maintenance, eventually earning his HNC. Phil then moved on to join BAA at Gatwick, where he worked on developing the new North Terminal. "e;They were quite progressive with their training,"e; said Phil. "e;BAA were very much into change, developing business ideas, and moving forward."e; With the expected arrival of a baby, Phil made the decision to leave his stressful shift work days behind. He then joined the ECA"e;s technical office, where he worked for 14 years, eventually becoming Head of Technical Services. He also earned a Post Graduate Diploma in Management Studies. In 2003, Phil joined the NICEIC as Business Development Director. Through the NICEIC, Phil was then given the opportunity to be involved in a number of projects, including one on rebranding, which led to the separation of the Charity from the commercial business. In 2007, he took up his current position as ESC"e;s Director of Charitable Affairs. "e;It"e;s been quite an interesting period developing brand values and strategies and implementing them into our business plan,"e; said Phil. "e;We want consumers to understand our message and what we are all about."e; With the CORGI merger on the horizon, Phil is looking forward to expanding safety awareness even further. Said Phil: "e;I"e;m excited about the prospect of a much larger charity to tackle safety issues across gas and electricity."e;
1. "e;Counterfit Kills- Protect Yourself"e; CD-ROM: Created by BEAMA (British Electrotechnical and Allied Manufacturers' Association), this disk has been distributed to the industry to raise awareness about the potential dangers and the impact on reputation and business by specifying/installing inferior quality "e;copy cat"e; electrical products. The ESC is involved with the Counterfeit Kills working group. Free copies of this disk are available from BEAMA at cac@beama.org.uk
2. Golf Mug: "e;I would rather be playing golf,"e; reads Phil"e;s coffee mug. I play golf…badly,"e; said Phil who drinks his coffee black.
3. This isn"e;t an office, it"e;s hell with fluorescent lighting- 30 hilarious desktop signs: Given to Phil as a gift from one of his campaign managers, these comical signs bring a bit of cheer to Phil"e;s office. "e;I"e;m really easy to get along with…once you learn to worship me"e; reads Phil"e;s sign of the day.
4. ECA Annual Dinner Invite: Phil has been invited to the swanky ECA Annual Dinner at the Grosvenor House.
5. Health Balls: Phil was invited to an IEE Conference in Hong Kong to discuss a paper on the history of the Wiring Regulations. It was during this trip that he purchased a pair of health balls that create supposed stress-relieving jingles when twirled in the hands. "e;The bells tend to annoy people when I use them while on the phone."e;
6. Brand Guidelines: This booklet explains the values and defines how the Electrical Safety Council presents itself to the outside world. "e;We"e;re an organization that people can come to for honest and impartial advice,"e; said Phil.
7. Postcard: Hometec, a manufacturer of small domestic appliances, is inserting over 20,000 ESC safety tips postcards inside their product packaging. The postcard, titled "e;Home safe home: Simple and effective tips for a safer home"e;, has a list of dos and don"e;ts that can help consumers make safer choices with their electrical product use.
8. Strategy Documents: This document outlines the ESC"e;s vision and mission and the priorities that will guide activities for the next five years.
9. Thermostat: Phil nearly had an opportunity to be on GMTV to offer electrical safety insight about a horrendous incident in which a young girl died from an electrical fault. The fault led to a water tank overheating and collapsing, which caused hot water to pass through the ceiling onto the young victim. A tragedy like this could have been prevented and Phil was going to explain the device to a GMTV reporter.
10. Cigar: This Cuban cigar was given as a gift to Phil from his PA. The enforced indoor smoking laws have put a damper on Phil"e;s original plan for this fine tobacco indulgence. "e;I was hoping to smoke it at the ECA Dinner,"e; said Phil. "e;But I will now have to smoke it outside in the cold."e;
11. Executive Dice: These were given to Phil as a secret Santa gift from a secret someone from his previous marketing team. "e;Get naked with the office nerd"e; and "e;yell at the secretary"e; are a couple of fine examples of the amusement that can be found with a simple roll.
12. Fun (but not kid-friendly) Lamp: Phil and the ESC are trying to work with manufacturers on ways of overcoming child appealing (and potentially dangerous) products. This lamp looks fun and touchable, which might mislead children into thinking it is a toy. The lamp not only heats up hot enough to burn, but it is connected to electrics and can therefore lead to serious injury.
13. Investors in People Certificate: Phil is very proud of the ESC"e;s recent certificate of recognition from "e;Investors in People"e;. This standard uses a tailored framework to achieve success through your people. After six months of advice, training, and development, the ESC team were rewarded with a well-respected "e;Investors in People Certificate"e;.
14. Photograph of Phil"e;s wife and daughter: Phil proudly keeps a photo of his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah and wife of 21 years, Lindsay, on his desk. "e;And I"e;m only 30,"e; joked Phil.
15. Worshipful Company of Lightmongers Membership Certificate: In September of 2007, Phil became a member of this organization. His ceremony was held in the grand Tallow Chambers. "e;They are a charity that does an extraordinary amount of good work, fundraising, and support,"e; said Phil.
16. Photograph of Phil"e;s son: Phil also has a picture of his 14-year-old son, Max, on his desk ‐ he was about 12 when this picture was taken. "e;He"e;s 6 1"e;, it"e;s not fair…I"e;m shrinking and he"e;s still growing,"e; laughed Phil.
17. 6 Buddha Figurines: A colleague of Phil brought these back as a gift from China. The figurines are meant to face inwards and touching each other for optimal luck. "e;They"e;re splendid little fellows,"e; said Phil.
18. Switched On- News for the industry from the Electrical Safety Council: This quarterly magazine published by the ESC offers insight to the industry on the activities of the ESC. The Winter Issue features articles on the concerns of faulty cables and the proposal of a CORGI and ESC merger.
19. ESC Electrical Safety Educational Fun Kit: Proving to be incredibly popular with schools, this fun kit teaches the importance of electrical safety with stickers, illustrations, and a poster design competition. The ESC has distributed more than 50,000 kits.
20. International Electrical Product Safety Conference 2008 Mock-ups: These website and flyer designs are for the upcoming conference, taking place September 8th and 9th at the Church House Conference Centre, near Westminster Abbey, London. As the name suggests, the conference will be focusing on counterfeiting and the safety of electrical products.
21. Fisuel Invite: Phil has been invited to a seminar run by Fisuel, an international electrical safety organization. "e;Exchanging information with them is extremely beneficial,"e; said Phil. The ESC hosted their AGM and conference last year. The seminar is being held March 1st in Istanbul, Turkey, and focuses on "e;Verifications of Electrical Installations. Why? And how?"e;
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Source: Francoise Snobel - Voltimum |
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