Orion Directors
The organisation is headed by two Directors, Les and Janet Bailey:
LES BAILEY
With a background in both manufacturing management and professional services, Les holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration, Warwick Business School - one of Europe’s leading Schools which regularly figures in the Global top thirty. He also holds the position of Associate Fellow, WBS. His dissertation was ‘The Reduction of Conflict - Performance through People’. Performance improvement and success through people thus form an important part of his portfolio.
Les’s major strength is his ability to apply modern practical and academic business thinking to the real life situations that face businessmen daily. He has successfully combined academic frameworks with practical experience to produce methodologies for business performance improvement. This has been achieved through the development and implementation of strategic plans, operational improvements, particularly in lean operations, and enhanced management and team working skills.
All of these skills and experience were brought to fruition when Les headed-up a Management Buy Out on his latest assignment. The Company had been under-performing for some years, and Les was engaged to turn the business round and ramp up results. After 18 months the owners asked him to buy the business, so he formed a small team of Directors – Operations, Finance and Sales with Les as MD. These four people now own Adshead Ratcliffe, a manufacturing company selling into a specialised niche of the market.
Les also works as a Tutor on the MBA programme at Warwick University – Strategy and Practice, Organisational Behaviour, Management of Operations, International Marketing and Project Management modules. A Chartered Engineer and Corporate Member of The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, he speaks good French, some German and basic Spanish.
JANET BAILEY
With a background in Sales and Marketing, Janet has held responsibility for Business Development at National and International level. She is widely respected in the Construction sector as ‘the best networker there is’. If a door needs opening, Janet can be relied upon to have the key in her portfolio of contacts. No more ‘cold calling’, Janet has the ability to use rifle-shot techniques to develop business links.
It is now widely recognised that by far the most cost-effective form of marketing can be the direct approach – many people buy on emotions, so getting to know prospects on a personal basis generates real rewards. This direct approach allows you to target customers with greater accuracy than any other method. Orion Management helps you to make the most of your investment by carefully researching your chosen partners; this realises excellent response rates, ensuring you meet the right individuals who have decision-making responsibility. An important part of Janet’s portfolio is her unrivalled experience of organising delegations to MIPIM – the market place for the global construction industry. Janet was a delegate at MIPIM 1994, the second year MIPIM was held, and has been there every year since. With fifteen year’s experience, she is truly a MIPIM expert.
As part of her networking network, (you need a network to build a network), Janet holds Board positions in several organisations: Director, Midlands Environment Business Company; a not-for-profit organisation promoting best practice through Business Breakfast Briefings and location visits. MEBC has a Board of 10 fully registered Directors from regional government and from business. Honorary Member, British Council for Sustainable Development. BCSD was formed in 1999 and is an independent branch of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
As current Chairman of Staffordshire Business Environment Network, she is encouraging and helping businesses understand legislation and best practice.
Also current, Janet is Chairman of Advantage West Midlands Environmental Technology Cluster Opportunity Group. This Division of AWM aims to raise the profile of Environmental Technology in The West Midlands. As part of this role, Janet has been involved in a ‘scoping mission’ to Cyprus, liaising, (via UK Trade and Investment), at Ministerial level, to develop opportunities for West Midlands businesses; this followed a similar exercise for environmental opportunities in Madeira, where there are huge opportunities in environmental management.
Deputy Chair (current), Advantage West Midlands Cluster Groups Janet has also acted as Chair of the Advantage West Midlands Cluster Promotions Group, which aims to promote the achievements of current clusters and to promote regional strengths in relevant sectors.
She was the first female Chairman of the Executive Association, Great Britain (Midlands) in year 2000 during which time she was instrumental in promoting a business award for the Prince’s Trust, and Business in the Community young entrepreneur for the Midlands As a past Board member of Sandwell Chamber of Commerce, Janet has helped to forge links to the local business community.
Contact details:
M: 07885 736 307
E: jbailey@orion-management.co.uk