01 March 2021
It’s National Careers Week, and this week we will see a few stories from people in the business who tell us about their unique journey so far with us. First up, Stephen Cooper and his move from forces to operations.
In pursuit of a boyhood dream, in 2003 I was a fresh-faced new recruit in Northumbria Police beginning my journey as a front-line cop.
I was very proud to quickly earn a Chief Officers Commendation for high levels of proactivity and I spent the next four years living the dream, training hard and fast-tracking the acquisition of invaluable skills that have served me well in a career that has never remained still.
Those fundamental policing skills in communication, conflict management, and risk assessment helped me as I switched career and moved into management in the local authority.
Some years later, my next adventure began as an Area Manager in FirstPort’s Retirement Division. It has been my absolute pleasure to develop my career here over the last 6 years, at a time when the company has evolved and transformed to be a fantastic place to work.
My career development was supported and I rose through the ranks from Area to Regional Manager, to now holding the position of Operations Manager (I was also encouraged to squeeze a secondment in between those roles which really broadened my appreciation of our other divisions and teams). The team around me here are truly amazing, and they are the beating heart of FirstPort. Now, with a family of four young kids, FirstPort also offers me the flexibility to work in a way that supports my role as a father.
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