Name and current role

My name is Lisa Pogson and I'm Managing Director of Airmaster Air Conditioning. 

Could you share a bit about your background? 

I started as a YTS Modern Apprentice (1985, so not that modern now…. ).  I worked full-time from leaving school in construction based organisations. I did all sorts of business admin and Sage quals and was an Office Junior in an Architects practice, followed by a structural engineer and quantity surveyor, ending up as an Office Manager for a Building Contractor for 9 years.  Then in 1997 there was a recession and the company restructured, and I returned to Rotherham College in 1998 to do my part time GNVQ 3, HNC/HNC and then passing MSc Management (Resources) with University of Hull in 2002… doing a Masters degree at night school whilst doing a 50 hour week.  This coincided with a job as an Administrator and then a Timetabler at Sheffield Hallam University.  In this role I learned so much about larger organisations and how they worked, along with learning so much around computing and management sciences too.  That was the school/faculty that I worked in.  I always had a second job and for a while that was B&Q part time until I packed that in to do my degree part time.

What attracted you to the industry?

I have always loved building and construction, even down to my Lego sets when I was younger.  My Dad was a Lift Engineer, finally working at OTIS before he retired, and many of my family worked around the industry.  My husband was a plumbing and heating engineer and my brother-in-law started a small ‘man in a van’ air conditioning business in 1992.  I helped out with bookkeeping and business information support from the early days. I loved it!  Heating, cooling, ventilation – going to see the Daikin factory in Europe in 2001 helped my interest too.  I was hooked.

What organisation do you work for and what is your role? How long have you been with the company?

Airmaster – I am Managing Director.  I have been with the company helping out from the early days, and then part time from 1995 and full time from 2001.

What are the key responsibilities you handle on a day-to-day basis?

Everything from overseeing the whole business from staff to finance, meeting customers, dealing with suppliers, being a general ambassadorial role for the organisation and the strategic direction of the team.  So proud to have seen the business grow, change, move buildings and enter an Employee Ownership Trust and complete that with the team.

What do you enjoy most about your job, and what are the biggest challenges you face?

I love all of my role, but the biggest challenge is always trying to match resources, from cash to people, to workload and supply.  It is like spinning a load of plates, and now it is mostly the team that does that day to day with me overseeing, not that I do much as they are a great team and sort things themselves.   I am so grateful that they do it, but I know how hard it is – like plaiting fog some days!

Where do you see your career developing?

I am 56 this month and I have been doing this a long time.  I can’t see myself anywhere else.  I feel that I would like to continue to help the team grow in my strategic role on the Board, keeping the Ambassador role and NED work where relevant.  It also depends on what our EOT needs too!  What do they want and need from me?  Who else can we help?  I have already worked with some fledgling EOTs and I am keen to keep developing that too.  More generally, industry training has changed over recent years and the skills gap changes and widens all the time.  It is a challenge in many industries.  I wish I could do more to help that too.

What do you like about this industry?

Lots of variation on the work, developing industry and the sustainability element of it.

We are at the forefront of affecting climate change in so many ways.  Building automation and managing the fabric of the building is really key to saving energy, the infrastructure in it is so crucial.  I was lucky to visit the first Net Zero city – Copenhagen – in 2020, just before lockdown.  We have so much work to do around the world!

What is your career highlight or proudest achievement?

Lots of things!  Seeing all our team pass various qualifications, buying homes and meeting partners and having their own children – all fabulous.  And helping the Employee Ownership Trust be founded for Airmaster.   Personally, becoming a Mum in 2007 to Hannah,  and professionally, becoming the first female President of the merged Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce in 2016-2019.  

What advice would you give to women who are looking to enter or advance in the refrigeration and heating industry?

I feel privileged in so many ways, but it is always about the people you meet and take forward as friends and colleagues.  Teamwork and collaboration is how great things happen. Just keep going and make friends everywhere, you need support – collaborate and smile!

Look where you want to be either in support roles or as engineers, technical or whatever.

Never think you can’t do something.  You can do anything you want to, with the right training and support!