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Mar 20th, 2023
He is one of the more recognisable names and faces in the pharmaceutical industry, and sales maestro Scott Graves isn’t just passionate about scoring goals in the workplace. In this sit down interview, ALLpaQ’s new Global Sales Director talks about the industry and his profession, along with his love of Everton and fashion.
You might have already met Scott Graves. He’s well known in our industry. Indeed, his shoes (indubitably from his ever-growing Stone Island collection) have trotted the globe, leaving memorable imprints in the minds of the pharma brethren.
And, recently, he joined us at ALLpaQ as our new Global Sales Director. A long time friend of the company and its owner, Phill Allen, this joining of forces marks the next step in our evolution as the leading bioprocess packaging and accessories company in the world.
“We are all looking forward to Scott’s input and leadership as we take the company forward once again,”
Phill said to mark Scott Graves’ arrival.
With 20 plus years of sales, business and leadership in his back pocket, Scott’s experience, knowledge, drive and work ethic aligns perfectly with that of ALLpaQ. And, it doesn’t matter how big the company gets, Scott’s arrival is testament to how we always remain family at ALLpaQ. After all, as Kirsten Goddard, our Group Financial Director, explains: it is the personal experience within the team that translates to the personal experience we give our customers.
And this is where Scott comes in. He’ll help us to continue in our growth trajectory and offer improved standards of support to our clients – both new and existing.
We know that no-one can bang the drum better than Scott himself, so, over to you, Scott – tell us… what’s the story?
In terms of my career path, after coming out of the RAF, I wanted to move into sales, but had no previous sales experience.
There was a company in Grimsby, an engineering company, that was looking for a Trainee Sales Representative. I had zero engineering experience and zero sales experience, so it was quite a steep learning curve. I was very much chucked in at the deep end. I had to wait about eight weeks for my training course, so it was a case of sink or swim.
From there, over the next fifteen years, I worked for three major national engineering companies. I was head-hunted each time and I went from being Trainee Sales Rep to Sales Rep to a Senior Sales Rep to Area Sales Manager, then National Accounts Manager, looking after key accounts and managing sales teams.
I had friends, at the time, who were in the medical sales sector and they told me it’s a fantastic business to be in, but I kept getting knocked back because I didn’t have a clinical background. I knew I could do the job, though, with fifteen years of excellent sales and marketing experience.
Finally, I got an opportunity with a startup business. I went all the way back to basics and became a door-knocking rep again. But, I did it because I wanted the challenge.
I worked hard at learning the industry and, over the next twenty years, I worked my way back up to UK Sales Director, then to Vice-President of International Sales, with over 50 direct and indirect staff working under me.
I’ve known Phill Allen (ALLpaQ’s founder and CEO) for 35 years. We worked together at a Christmas job we both had, and we’ve stayed friends ever since.
Phill has watched me grow as a person and I’ve watched Phill build ALLpaQ from nothing. We always said that we would come back together again one day.
Seeing how ALLpaQ has grown, certainly over the last couple of years, shows that now is the perfect time to bring me into it. I can see the value of the business and the people within it. Phill has challenged me to bring my experiences in and help ALLpaQ grow further and faster.
With a business that we’re building at the moment, and the innovations we’ve got coming up in the coming months and years, ALLpaQ will certainly be one of the leading fluid management partners for any bioprocess and life science business, anywhere in the world.
There’s three things that I look for: firstly, the thing you don’t learn at university or even at school, is work ethic. I love for people to be able to demonstrate work ethic.
That can come from somebody who went straight into work, or who’s been to university and worked two jobs to get through their studies.
The second thing is organisational skills, because if you’re not organised, you’ll fail. If you’re not able to analyse what you’re doing or look at how you can change things and have structure, then you’ll fail. And the third thing is drive and determination. In a sales environment, where you’re not coming to an office where somebody is constantly monitoring your work, it’s very easy on a cold Monday morning when it’s raining outside to think: “I haven’t got to be in the office. They don’t know that I’m at home. I’ll stay in and watch Phil and Holly and have a cup of tea”.
The people who will succeed want to be on the first call at eight o’clock, they have the full diary. They know what they’re doing for the day and they’ve got that drive to succeed.
Those are the three things that I look for above anything else and they are natural attributes. They’re not qualifications.
Back in the day, I would have loved to play professionally, but it never happened due to injuries. I’ve had literally nine broken ankles. But, that’s why I decided to do my FA coaching badges and I’ve coached teams for over 20 years.
To my mind, sports coaching and business go very much hand-in-hand, it’s a passion of mine. I love it when sales people I’ve brought in go on and have success on their own. It’s the same impulse with the players I’ve coached who went on to academies at Nottingham Forest and Derby.
I was with a full professional footballer recently, on Saturday TV, and he said there’s really only 0.5% of academy players who ever make it into the game. That’s what kids are up against. But they don’t let that put them off, and I love to watch them succeed, to continue to play football to this day, and, you know, to literally achieve their goals.
I love Everton. I was born a Blue. I’ve had a season ticket for 36 years. I’ve had stand-ins at christenings ’cause I’ve been at Everton.
I’ve flown back from holidays to watch Everton at Wembley. I once signed myself out of hospital, on anesthetic, to get to the cup semi final.
So, that’s the reason I didn’t get married until later in life.
I met my wife by interviewing her as a salesperson to work for me. We worked together professionally for six months, then we went to different areas before we actually got together, personally.
I think we’re very similar. She has a similar background and a similar work ethic. We work very well together. We complement each other.
She’s very driven and I actually look up to her in lots of ways. I think she’s a phenomenal business woman in the way she applies herself.
My favourite place in the world is New York. I proposed there and we got married there. I lose myself in New York.
My second favourite destination, where we spend a lot of time, is the UAE. So whether it’s Dubai or Abu Dhabi, I’ve spent a lot of time there, again. You know, people either love it or hate it. It’s like Marmite, but you know, I love it.
Third favourite place is Italy. I think anybody that likes clothes likes Italy. So I’ve got friends in Florence that I spend a lot of time with. Florence is a wonderful city.
… I love my clothing and my trainers. Don’t call them ‘sneakers’, I hate that word. Trainers! I collect them, more for my own enjoyment than anything.
And then there’s Stone Island. I first came across Stone Island in 1982, when I went over to Italy. I was big into my UK casual fashion at the time, and I saw all the scooter boys around Milan wearing this label called Stone Island.
It was a brand new label. They looked immense. I found a shop and bought a couple of pieces and from there, I fell in love with the brand.
I love the way that the brand is very much non-conformist. They like to experiment with dyes and materials and, when the other labels are doing one thing, they go in an opposite direction. I’ve also built a big Instagram following @stonedlove1982 where I enjoy getting involved in conversations and interviews about the Stone Island brand and my ever-growing collection.
It’s like me. I’m very much a non-conformist myself. I reflect the brand.
Here at ALLpaQ, we’re no strangers to experimentation, customisation and innovation.
That’s why Scott will fit perfectly into our ethos of giving our clients what they need – sometimes before they even know they need it.
If you’d like to talk to Scott Graves about your business’ specific bioprocess needs, we’ll be able to customise a fluid management solution just for you! So, get in touch with Scott on scott@allpaq.com, ring 07944949627 or fill out the form below.
