For the second instalment of our ’60 seconds with…’ feature, we met with Thomas Taylor at ClearSpace’s London office. To help you get to know Tom a bit better, we asked a variety of work and non-work-related questions in 60 seconds. Not only does this interview demonstrate Tom’s industry expertise that he has amassed over a nearly ten-year period, but it showcases why we love to work with Tom on a daily basis!
Here’s how it went…
What is your role at ClearSpace Group?
My official job title is Head of Innovation, which means I’m responsible for process refinement and improvement. Keeping ClearSpace’s business processes efficient and finding new solutions to offer our customers is what I spend most of my time doing.
Tell us about a typical day in your role?
I could be onsite overseeing a customer project, or at the computer all day long – there isn’t really a ‘typical’ day; it changes. Last week I was working on a new internal timesheet system to assist in our financial reporting and this morning I was down at Springer Nature (one of our customers) to help move crates around!
Do you have any hidden talents?
Not so much hidden, but I’m a musician. Well, I used to be! I can play the trumpet, guitar and piano. I bought myself a trombone recently but haven’t got around to giving it a go! I’ve always liked the sound they make.
What’s the last book you read?
Well, it was an audio book and it was ‘Principles’ by Ray Dalio. It had a condensed autobiographical bit to start off and then focused on the principals he has acquired having run his firm Bridgewater for many years.
Tell us the three guests you’d invite to a dinner party? (Alive or gone).
I’d pick Richard Feynman, Elon Musk and Stewart Lee.
Highlight of your career so far at ClearSpace?
This interview! I’ve never been interviewed before and this is fun! That aside, I’m really proud of a project I worked on for Pfizer involving a quarter of a million archive boxes where I managed a project to index a proportion of the contents. It ran over an 18-month period, across 3 sites and at its peak involved a team of 30.
What would your career look like if you’d have stuck with your 13-year-old-self dream?
I would be building humanoid robots! I went to Uni to study Cybernetics.
What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Nan told me not to stand too close to the fire after being out in the cold otherwise I’d get chilblains. I don’t think I’ve ever had them so it must have been good advice. Though, I’m not entirely sure what they are either.
Top 3 reasons why companies should work with ClearSpace Group? We will deliver their project goals; our people are fantastic and it’s very likely we could save them money.
If there was one mystery you could learn the answer to, what would it be?
How quantum and classical physics can be reconciled! I’d love to see how that one gets sorted out!
What do you think about the new world of hybrid working?
I think it is unfolding in front of us and there is a lot of experimentation going on currently. I’m keen to help our clients find the balance that works for them.
Tom is a member of the Clearspace Group management team – a group of experts in the Workplace Consultancy space. The team works with organisations across a bunch of sectors to help them reimagine their workplace – whether that means getting the right balance of home and office working, downsizing their real estate, or wanting knowledge on how their workplace is utilized and occupied.
To meet the rest of the team, visit our About Us page.