Vicky takes some time out to answer a few questions and tell us what she gets up to as a Principal Transport Planner in the Oxford Office at Paul Basham Associates.
How long have you worked at Paul Basham Associates?
Having spent nearly 7 years in London in transport consultancy, I moved to the countryside and started work with Paul Basham Associates in July 2016 – so that’s nearly two years now!
Do you miss London?
I miss the amazing public transport network, you don’t realise how great it is until you don’t have it anymore! I am lucky enough to still be working on some projects in London though, so I do manage to get up there once every few weeks.
How do you start your Monday?
6am wake up and a quick walk with Alfie (our Lakeland Irish terrier) before getting ready and leaving home with a coffee in hand at 7am. An hour commute to the Oxford office with BBC Oxfordshire (avoiding traffic where possible!) and a friendly catch up with the team on their weekend activities.
And then how do you spend your morning?
I tend to check through my emails and diary for the week and make a ‘To Do’ list – I do love a list!
As a team, we sit down for Oxford’s weekly Round-Up Meeting to run through everyone’s whereabouts, proposal and project deadlines. We ensure time is allocated appropriately and tasks are delegated fairly.
Generally, I arrange meetings and site visits for the afternoons and spend most mornings at my desk, following up on emails and catching up with clients and project teams. I chase outstanding proposals and review new proposals or project reports that are going out of the door.
Part of my role is also championing our business development across the Thames Valley and recently a little further afield with locations for additional offices under review! Exciting times ahead…
What do you enjoy most about business development?
Honestly, I love being out and about, meeting people, strengthening existing relationships and creating new ones. The best bit is probably the feeling you get when the team has won a new project that stemmed from a chat you had a few months ago, and then seeing that project delivered. These things do take time and require all of the team’s effort to get it over the line.
Do you find your job stimulating?
Definitely!
I manage a variety of projects across all land uses including hotels, residential, education, and recently agricultural and equestrian uses. I love the diversity of our sites and the different problems we have to solve and challenges we have to overcome. Some of my recent projects comprise:
- The relocation of an agricultural haulage company in Northamptonshire;
- A strategic residential development in Worcestershire; and
- A 5* hotel in central London.
What three words best describe the Oxford team?
Problem-solvers, innovative, professional.