Andy Smith

Group Operations Director

I was working as a motorcycle mechanic, earning the significant sum of £33 a week, when my Mum saw an advert for a storeman at Partridge Green, West Sussex. I wasn’t initially interested as I loved working on bikes but the job was going to pay almost three times as much as I was on and eventually my Mum persuaded me to go to an interview. I’m pleased she did as I was offered the job and became the eighth employee of AJW. That was 30 years ago.

 

Over those years I have gained a wide range of aviation experience. From starting in picking I progressed through to working in packing, shipping and logistics, where I was Logistics Manager for many years. I have also overseen Quality, Health and Safety, HR and IT during my career here, as well as managing the premises and facilities for the business. AJW has grown from eight people on my first day to over 1,000 employees worldwide today and as it has diversified it has also offered me the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects and remits.

 

Now, as Group Operations Director, I have responsibility for the 24/7/365 global operation of our warehouse, logistics and premises with responsibility for over 160 staff. We handle 10,000 global shipments every week and our skilled operatives deliver a great service for hundreds of customers across the world.

 

Of all my achievements over the years, I’m most proud of project-managing the construction of our state-of-the-art UK headquarters in 2014. This was both a challenging and rewarding project to work on and included coordinating with contractors on the design and build as well as managing the supply and fit out, IT installation and the logistical move and occupation of over 250 staff into the brand new building, whilst still maintaining full operational capability.

 

AJW has been a huge part of my life and it’s the people who make this business what it is; a great place to work. Working my way up over those 30 years was often testing and required hard graft, but there’s always the chance to progress and make a career at AJW for those who wish to. There’s flexibility in working here and there are great facilities for staff to enjoy.

 

I may have resisted the move from motorcycles all that time ago, but it turned out well for me. A fact my mum is keen to remind me of quite regularly!

Louise Bullingham

Senior Team Leader – Accounts Payable

I joined AJW Group in 2004 when I was looking to get back into the workplace after having my first baby. A colleague recommended me to the Finance Director and I was employed on a part-time basis doing the filing.
From there, my career flourished and I worked my way up to becoming Senior Team Leader – Accounts Payable, a position I have held since 2016 and one that I really enjoy. I would never have thought I could be part of a finance team coming from a PA background and I value the opportunity greatly.

AJW has been very supportive in offering flexible hours over the years, allowing me to juggle being a working mother. Plus, the social side of the business is brilliant. I enjoy being part of a fun, friendly and enthusiastic team and the workload, although sometimes challenging, is very rewarding. Knowing that I have succeeded in getting a payment out on time to satisfied customers is fantastic. I also feel privileged to work in the modern and inspiring surroundings of the Slinfold headquarters.

Sean Beeney

Assistant Logistics Manager

I have worked for AJW Group for just over a decade in the logistics department and have recently been promoted to Assistant Logistics Manager. Since joining in 2008 I have worked in each part of the department, developing the skills needed to ensure our customers receive the great level of service they have come to expect.

Working for AJW is an amazing experience. I can honestly say that I have never worked for a company that takes pride in everything they do and achieve like this one does. The customers' whole experience matters and everything we do works towards ensuring they have a great experience so they want to return to us.

Another reason I love working for AJW is that although you have your set daily workload you never know when something different or strange might pop up. You have to be on your toes and ready to deal with any situation. The company also works very hard with each employee to ensure we receive all the training needed in order to perform daily roles to the very best of our ability. Since working here I have been promoted three times. This shows that if you are willing to put the effort in and to push yourself, AJW is prepared to reward you for all your hard work.

Simona Fanelli

Regional Head of PS&S

I believe that Sales is the heart of the business as we work directly with customers, solving issues for them and driving efficiencies. I’m proud to be part of that and of what the department has achieved over the years.

 

I was working at Gatwick Airport when I learnt that a member of the Italian team had left AJW, so, as a native speaker, I applied for the role and was invited to interview. I had no idea that this sector even existed – I had never thought about where airlines might source aircraft spares. I soon became familiar with it though, starting as a Sales Executive working on the Italian and Spanish accounts. The business continued to grow, and I was promoted to Team Leader covering the Americas, Europe and Asia.

 

I paused my career to take maternity leave and was promoted to Manager on my return to work, taking my current position of Regional Head of PS&S in 2012. I’ve employed a lot of people over the years and I always tell them that the job is tough, busy and demanding. However, the rewards are there for those who put the work in. Every day is different and I can honestly say that I’ve never been bored. We go over and above to make sure that team members are happy and that they get the training and support that they need – a happy team leads to happy customers and forms a virtuous circle.

 

I love this place. It’s a supportive environment with a family feel and a healthy balance of give and take.

Andy Smith

Group Operations Director

I was working as a motorcycle mechanic, earning the significant sum of £33 a week, when my Mum saw an advert for a storeman at Partridge Green, West Sussex. I wasn’t initially interested as I loved working on bikes but the job was going to pay almost three times as much as I was on and eventually my Mum persuaded me to go to an interview. I’m pleased she did as I was offered the job and became the eighth employee of AJW. That was 30 years ago.

 

Over those years I have gained a wide range of aviation experience. From starting in picking I progressed through to working in packing, shipping and logistics, where I was Logistics Manager for many years. I have also overseen Quality, Health and Safety, HR and IT during my career here, as well as managing the premises and facilities for the business. AJW has grown from eight people on my first day to over 1,000 employees worldwide today and as it has diversified it has also offered me the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects and remits.

 

Now, as Group Operations Director, I have responsibility for the 24/7/365 global operation of our warehouse, logistics and premises with responsibility for over 160 staff. We handle 10,000 global shipments every week and our skilled operatives deliver a great service for hundreds of customers across the world.

 

Of all my achievements over the years, I’m most proud of project-managing the construction of our state-of-the-art UK headquarters in 2014. This was both a challenging and rewarding project to work on and included coordinating with contractors on the design and build as well as managing the supply and fit out, IT installation and the logistical move and occupation of over 250 staff into the brand new building, whilst still maintaining full operational capability.

 

AJW has been a huge part of my life and it’s the people who make this business what it is; a great place to work. Working my way up over those 30 years was often testing and required hard graft, but there’s always the chance to progress and make a career at AJW for those who wish to. There’s flexibility in working here and there are great facilities for staff to enjoy.

 

I may have resisted the move from motorcycles all that time ago, but it turned out well for me. A fact my mum is keen to remind me of quite regularly!

Louise Bullingham

Senior Team Leader – Accounts Payable

I joined AJW Group in 2004 when I was looking to get back into the workplace after having my first baby. A colleague recommended me to the Finance Director and I was employed on a part-time basis doing the filing.
From there, my career flourished and I worked my way up to becoming Senior Team Leader – Accounts Payable, a position I have held since 2016 and one that I really enjoy. I would never have thought I could be part of a finance team coming from a PA background and I value the opportunity greatly.

AJW has been very supportive in offering flexible hours over the years, allowing me to juggle being a working mother. Plus, the social side of the business is brilliant. I enjoy being part of a fun, friendly and enthusiastic team and the workload, although sometimes challenging, is very rewarding. Knowing that I have succeeded in getting a payment out on time to satisfied customers is fantastic. I also feel privileged to work in the modern and inspiring surroundings of the Slinfold headquarters.

Sean Beeney

Assistant Logistics Manager

I have worked for AJW Group for just over a decade in the logistics department and have recently been promoted to Assistant Logistics Manager. Since joining in 2008 I have worked in each part of the department, developing the skills needed to ensure our customers receive the great level of service they have come to expect.

Working for AJW is an amazing experience. I can honestly say that I have never worked for a company that takes pride in everything they do and achieve like this one does. The customers' whole experience matters and everything we do works towards ensuring they have a great experience so they want to return to us.

Another reason I love working for AJW is that although you have your set daily workload you never know when something different or strange might pop up. You have to be on your toes and ready to deal with any situation. The company also works very hard with each employee to ensure we receive all the training needed in order to perform daily roles to the very best of our ability. Since working here I have been promoted three times. This shows that if you are willing to put the effort in and to push yourself, AJW is prepared to reward you for all your hard work.

Simona Fanelli

Regional Head of PS&S

I believe that Sales is the heart of the business as we work directly with customers, solving issues for them and driving efficiencies. I’m proud to be part of that and of what the department has achieved over the years.

 

I was working at Gatwick Airport when I learnt that a member of the Italian team had left AJW, so, as a native speaker, I applied for the role and was invited to interview. I had no idea that this sector even existed – I had never thought about where airlines might source aircraft spares. I soon became familiar with it though, starting as a Sales Executive working on the Italian and Spanish accounts. The business continued to grow, and I was promoted to Team Leader covering the Americas, Europe and Asia.

 

I paused my career to take maternity leave and was promoted to Manager on my return to work, taking my current position of Regional Head of PS&S in 2012. I’ve employed a lot of people over the years and I always tell them that the job is tough, busy and demanding. However, the rewards are there for those who put the work in. Every day is different and I can honestly say that I’ve never been bored. We go over and above to make sure that team members are happy and that they get the training and support that they need – a happy team leads to happy customers and forms a virtuous circle.

 

I love this place. It’s a supportive environment with a family feel and a healthy balance of give and take.

Andy Smith

Group Operations Director

I was working as a motorcycle mechanic, earning the significant sum of £33 a week, when my Mum saw an advert for a storeman at Partridge Green, West Sussex. I wasn’t initially interested as I loved working on bikes but the job was going to pay almost three times as much as I was on and eventually my Mum persuaded me to go to an interview. I’m pleased she did as I was offered the job and became the eighth employee of AJW. That was 30 years ago.

 

Over those years I have gained a wide range of aviation experience. From starting in picking I progressed through to working in packing, shipping and logistics, where I was Logistics Manager for many years. I have also overseen Quality, Health and Safety, HR and IT during my career here, as well as managing the premises and facilities for the business. AJW has grown from eight people on my first day to over 1,000 employees worldwide today and as it has diversified it has also offered me the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects and remits.

 

Now, as Group Operations Director, I have responsibility for the 24/7/365 global operation of our warehouse, logistics and premises with responsibility for over 160 staff. We handle 10,000 global shipments every week and our skilled operatives deliver a great service for hundreds of customers across the world.

 

Of all my achievements over the years, I’m most proud of project-managing the construction of our state-of-the-art UK headquarters in 2014. This was both a challenging and rewarding project to work on and included coordinating with contractors on the design and build as well as managing the supply and fit out, IT installation and the logistical move and occupation of over 250 staff into the brand new building, whilst still maintaining full operational capability.

 

AJW has been a huge part of my life and it’s the people who make this business what it is; a great place to work. Working my way up over those 30 years was often testing and required hard graft, but there’s always the chance to progress and make a career at AJW for those who wish to. There’s flexibility in working here and there are great facilities for staff to enjoy.

 

I may have resisted the move from motorcycles all that time ago, but it turned out well for me. A fact my mum is keen to remind me of quite regularly!

Louise Bullingham

Senior Team Leader – Accounts Payable

I joined AJW Group in 2004 when I was looking to get back into the workplace after having my first baby. A colleague recommended me to the Finance Director and I was employed on a part-time basis doing the filing.
From there, my career flourished and I worked my way up to becoming Senior Team Leader – Accounts Payable, a position I have held since 2016 and one that I really enjoy. I would never have thought I could be part of a finance team coming from a PA background and I value the opportunity greatly.

AJW has been very supportive in offering flexible hours over the years, allowing me to juggle being a working mother. Plus, the social side of the business is brilliant. I enjoy being part of a fun, friendly and enthusiastic team and the workload, although sometimes challenging, is very rewarding. Knowing that I have succeeded in getting a payment out on time to satisfied customers is fantastic. I also feel privileged to work in the modern and inspiring surroundings of the Slinfold headquarters.

Sean Beeney

Assistant Logistics Manager

I have worked for AJW Group for just over a decade in the logistics department and have recently been promoted to Assistant Logistics Manager. Since joining in 2008 I have worked in each part of the department, developing the skills needed to ensure our customers receive the great level of service they have come to expect.

Working for AJW is an amazing experience. I can honestly say that I have never worked for a company that takes pride in everything they do and achieve like this one does. The customers' whole experience matters and everything we do works towards ensuring they have a great experience so they want to return to us.

Another reason I love working for AJW is that although you have your set daily workload you never know when something different or strange might pop up. You have to be on your toes and ready to deal with any situation. The company also works very hard with each employee to ensure we receive all the training needed in order to perform daily roles to the very best of our ability. Since working here I have been promoted three times. This shows that if you are willing to put the effort in and to push yourself, AJW is prepared to reward you for all your hard work.

Simona Fanelli

Regional Head of PS&S

I believe that Sales is the heart of the business as we work directly with customers, solving issues for them and driving efficiencies. I’m proud to be part of that and of what the department has achieved over the years.

 

I was working at Gatwick Airport when I learnt that a member of the Italian team had left AJW, so, as a native speaker, I applied for the role and was invited to interview. I had no idea that this sector even existed – I had never thought about where airlines might source aircraft spares. I soon became familiar with it though, starting as a Sales Executive working on the Italian and Spanish accounts. The business continued to grow, and I was promoted to Team Leader covering the Americas, Europe and Asia.

 

I paused my career to take maternity leave and was promoted to Manager on my return to work, taking my current position of Regional Head of PS&S in 2012. I’ve employed a lot of people over the years and I always tell them that the job is tough, busy and demanding. However, the rewards are there for those who put the work in. Every day is different and I can honestly say that I’ve never been bored. We go over and above to make sure that team members are happy and that they get the training and support that they need – a happy team leads to happy customers and forms a virtuous circle.

 

I love this place. It’s a supportive environment with a family feel and a healthy balance of give and take.

Andy Smith

Group Operations Director

I was working as a motorcycle mechanic, earning the significant sum of £33 a week, when my Mum saw an advert for a storeman at Partridge Green, West Sussex. I wasn’t initially interested as I loved working on bikes but the job was going to pay almost three times as much as I was on and eventually my Mum persuaded me to go to an interview. I’m pleased she did as I was offered the job and became the eighth employee of AJW. That was 30 years ago.

 

Over those years I have gained a wide range of aviation experience. From starting in picking I progressed through to working in packing, shipping and logistics, where I was Logistics Manager for many years. I have also overseen Quality, Health and Safety, HR and IT during my career here, as well as managing the premises and facilities for the business. AJW has grown from eight people on my first day to over 1,000 employees worldwide today and as it has diversified it has also offered me the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects and remits.

 

Now, as Group Operations Director, I have responsibility for the 24/7/365 global operation of our warehouse, logistics and premises with responsibility for over 160 staff. We handle 10,000 global shipments every week and our skilled operatives deliver a great service for hundreds of customers across the world.

 

Of all my achievements over the years, I’m most proud of project-managing the construction of our state-of-the-art UK headquarters in 2014. This was both a challenging and rewarding project to work on and included coordinating with contractors on the design and build as well as managing the supply and fit out, IT installation and the logistical move and occupation of over 250 staff into the brand new building, whilst still maintaining full operational capability.

 

AJW has been a huge part of my life and it’s the people who make this business what it is; a great place to work. Working my way up over those 30 years was often testing and required hard graft, but there’s always the chance to progress and make a career at AJW for those who wish to. There’s flexibility in working here and there are great facilities for staff to enjoy.

 

I may have resisted the move from motorcycles all that time ago, but it turned out well for me. A fact my mum is keen to remind me of quite regularly!

Louise Bullingham

Senior Team Leader – Accounts Payable

I joined AJW Group in 2004 when I was looking to get back into the workplace after having my first baby. A colleague recommended me to the Finance Director and I was employed on a part-time basis doing the filing.
From there, my career flourished and I worked my way up to becoming Senior Team Leader – Accounts Payable, a position I have held since 2016 and one that I really enjoy. I would never have thought I could be part of a finance team coming from a PA background and I value the opportunity greatly.

AJW has been very supportive in offering flexible hours over the years, allowing me to juggle being a working mother. Plus, the social side of the business is brilliant. I enjoy being part of a fun, friendly and enthusiastic team and the workload, although sometimes challenging, is very rewarding. Knowing that I have succeeded in getting a payment out on time to satisfied customers is fantastic. I also feel privileged to work in the modern and inspiring surroundings of the Slinfold headquarters.

Sean Beeney

Assistant Logistics Manager

I have worked for AJW Group for just over a decade in the logistics department and have recently been promoted to Assistant Logistics Manager. Since joining in 2008 I have worked in each part of the department, developing the skills needed to ensure our customers receive the great level of service they have come to expect.

Working for AJW is an amazing experience. I can honestly say that I have never worked for a company that takes pride in everything they do and achieve like this one does. The customers' whole experience matters and everything we do works towards ensuring they have a great experience so they want to return to us.

Another reason I love working for AJW is that although you have your set daily workload you never know when something different or strange might pop up. You have to be on your toes and ready to deal with any situation. The company also works very hard with each employee to ensure we receive all the training needed in order to perform daily roles to the very best of our ability. Since working here I have been promoted three times. This shows that if you are willing to put the effort in and to push yourself, AJW is prepared to reward you for all your hard work.

Simona Fanelli

Regional Head of PS&S

I believe that Sales is the heart of the business as we work directly with customers, solving issues for them and driving efficiencies. I’m proud to be part of that and of what the department has achieved over the years.

 

I was working at Gatwick Airport when I learnt that a member of the Italian team had left AJW, so, as a native speaker, I applied for the role and was invited to interview. I had no idea that this sector even existed – I had never thought about where airlines might source aircraft spares. I soon became familiar with it though, starting as a Sales Executive working on the Italian and Spanish accounts. The business continued to grow, and I was promoted to Team Leader covering the Americas, Europe and Asia.

 

I paused my career to take maternity leave and was promoted to Manager on my return to work, taking my current position of Regional Head of PS&S in 2012. I’ve employed a lot of people over the years and I always tell them that the job is tough, busy and demanding. However, the rewards are there for those who put the work in. Every day is different and I can honestly say that I’ve never been bored. We go over and above to make sure that team members are happy and that they get the training and support that they need – a happy team leads to happy customers and forms a virtuous circle.

 

I love this place. It’s a supportive environment with a family feel and a healthy balance of give and take.