Alex Beever is our Sustainability Manager – a pioneering new role at ACS, created in response to our commitment to further our knowledge about the effect our business has on the environment and people. 
We chat to Alex about what he hopes to achieve, and how it reflects on the overarching mission of the business
“We have an opportunity to make a truly positive impact”
I feel very ready to tackle the new position of Sustainability Manager after working in several departments across ACS over the last four and a half years. I began as an apprentice which was an excellent opportunity for me, as I left college with no idea about what I wanted to do. I’d hedged my bets by studying Sociology, Geography and Business not realising how aligned they would be with this future job!
Manufacturing hadn’t occurred to me at this point, which is why I value the apprentice scheme so much – it gave me first hand experience about the industry. I still remember seeing the factory for the first time – it completely blew me away. I was expecting a dusty and dirty industrial unit – but instead I discovered this built for purpose modern enterprise which was – and still is, incredibly impressive.
After my apprenticeship in purchasing, I moved into Project Management before more recently working across Operations and Quality. Here I was heavily involved in developing our CCPI system which is responsible for systemising our product information in an unambiguous and accessible way. It is my ambition to approach my new role in this same way, communicating sustainability information with accuracy and transparency, and helping us to remain fully accountable for our impacts as a business.
Sustainability isn’t just about the environment although this is of course pivotal, it’s as much about social responsibility. We want to lead with purpose as we consider in fine detail the effect our business activity has socially. We have an opportunity to make a truly positive impact on the future and this focus on people is a big part of ACS’s overarching strategy. We’ll be examining the long term approach of our business initiatives with transparency and integrity as we capitalise on our potential to improve people’s lives.
I’m proud to work for a company with such forward thinking progression. I’ve had so many opportunities since I’ve worked here including completing the APM project management qualification, and the CISL Cambridge Institute for Sustainability qualification. Working at ACS has contributed to who I am as a person and I’m privileged to be taking on this new position where we can break new ground and make a real difference.
It helps that the management team are very prevalent here, always on the shop floor and involved with the running of the business- that’s the benefit of it being family run – they lead by example and that ethos is present in everyone. It’s a great place to work and as cliche as it sounds, that’s because of the people which are a great mix of all ages and different levels of experience .
I’m incredibly optimistic about this new role and look forward to working with colleagues across the business to facilitate it. I see my future firmly rooted at ACS and am ready for this next challenge.
Article originally published on 1st August 2024