Name: Gerard Crane
Job title: Regional Sales Manager Northern Ireland
Tell us a bit about yourself
I’m married to Sinead for 22 years now having met as teenagers six years prior. We met at university via a mutual friend that was studying Retail Distribution with me. We have three children; Eloise (21), Alanna (19), and Max (15). We live in Downpatrick on the outskirts of Belfast where I am originally from. Our family moved to the coast in Killough when I was a teenager, a short distance from Downpatrick where Sinead’s family is from all of their lives. Family life for the Cranes is hectic, with the kids involved in everything from the local Gaelic Athletics Association, to soccer, handball, boxing, running, cycling and so on. The only consolation these days is that both girls now drive (a lot less taxiing in and out of the home 40 times a day). Eloise and Alanna have been gifted musically with both at grade eight on the piano and violin which has earned them the opportunity to play at the youth proms in the Royal Albert Hall.
I would consider myself to be a keen sports enthusiast. I recently joined the local golf club (it’s an age thing) and am awaiting my handicap any day now. I support Liverpool on the soccer front and my local County Down on the Gaelic side, whilst following Ulster and Ireland in the rugby. I take part in the park run every Saturday and try my best to manage 5k a day run (sometimes walk or cycle). I do my best to follow all the big boxing events with my son Max
Describe your job to a five-year-old
We make and sell private and public bathrooms, taps and showers
What do you like most about your job?
Seeing the key customers grow and expand with us year on year. I enjoy the team in Ireland. The daily “banter” whilst being serious and professional helps drive me to achieve my goals. I get a kick having specified a project and walking it through all the negotiation processes until it has been supplied.
How did you get here?
Since university I had a couple of roles with no future so kept knocking doors. I joined Shires in my early 20s as an Internal Sales Executive then a Field Sales Rep and then the General Manager before I turned 30. During the time I also studied Marketing with the Chartered Institute of Marketing in Belfast College to help me grow and develop more. I transferred from Shires to Ideal Standard in 2007 as specification manager before progressing to the Regional Key Account Manager.
What motivates you?
Family, happiness and success motivates me. I am self-driven. I constantly seek ways to improve professionally and personally. The business has grown in Northern Ireland year on year consistently since I have joined and I am committed to seeing this continue.
Your favourite song lyric or line from a film?
“Feel” by Robbie Williams, “Sinnerman” by Nina Simone or “Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns & Roses – – can’t decide.
Your favourite app?
WhatsApp.
Biggest facepalm moment at work?
After a well-deserved and eventful sales conference in York many years ago myself and then colleague tried to navigate our way in the tiniest of small cars with no SatNav to Birmingham Airport only to realise we had missed the flight, so we quickly got onto one of the PAs to secure a flight from Robin Hood Airport a few hours later which we both managed to miss also!!!