Industry Personality
Here to Bring Great Ideas to Life
Richard Fletcher is the entrepreneur behind Ignys Ltd electronics design and software development consultancy in Nottingham UK. He has collected a team of problem-solving engineers and designers and combined them with an ambitious and passionate management team. Growing from a team of just 1 to 11 in just under 4 years. Richard knew that many companies needed extra help on the electronics design side of product development, which he observed over 20 years, so far, in the electronics industry, and set out to make this easier for them by founding Ignys.
Sharing his knowledge with the next generation and the industry at large
Richard uses his position to help start-ups navigate a course from idea to product by using his experience and making relevant introductions into a curated network of partners, as well as providing larger businesses with extra capacity. He has a keen interest in product innovation himself and is always exploring new services and products to offer inventors.
In this year alone he has created popular technical blogs such as an extensive design review best practice article, alongside his marketing department and shares his leadership tips on guest blogs for Macildowie. His articles are also involved in upcoming publications to help start ups
When he is not motivating his team through one to ones and coffee catch ups he helps give talks at local Nottingham schools to help them kickstart their careers, he knows all too well that with the current engineering talent shortage that the next generation are integral to the future success of the electronics industry.
Building a place where people are key
Richard is passionate that his colleagues feel part of something, and acknowledged, so he introduced a reward structure for new ideas. This means any new products developed by Ignys will grant the employee who has the idea a monetary reward as well as the recognition they deserve. In turn this means employees feel happy to share great ideas without fear that these will be stolen.
Employees are regularly updated on the company vision through team chats, or as we call it, the ‘ten at ten’ and as a new business there is a real focus on continuous improvement to streamline our service offering to create the best partnership with customers as well as making our offering commercially viable. All this is made possible in part by Richard’s drive, commitment and focus.
Innovation with a heart
He was the front driver in the company wide decision to bring ‘innovation with a heart’ into our set of values with the mnemonic MICRO. Richard believes the electronics industry is about making the world a better place through technology. As part of this he instigated an ethics policy which actively turns down lucrative projects that may harm people or the environment. He also co-created a digital wellbeing survey to help people assess their dependence on their mobile phones, Nomophobia, and spend more time with family.
Mutual Wins
Another key value in the company is ‘Mutual Wins.’ We have a phrase ‘we win together’ as part of our core purpose To Bring Great Ideas To Life. Richard’s general approach as an MD is one of inclusivity. Always ensuring that no-one feels isolated or left behind. Despite having just moved office premises, due to company growth, in early 2020, he moved ahead of the game on lockdown putting customer and employee health first with backups in place for an even harsher lockdown. He created some great onboarding initiatives alongside his newly promoted sales manager Poppy to make team members feel warmly welcome even whilst working from home. He puts key decisions to the Management Team and often to all staff to always make sure they have a front seat at the table.
He takes mental health very seriously and encourages employees to continuously train as well as to take time off for important family events. These training routes not only allow the Ignys team to provide the most up to date expertise with customers but also allows them to take great pride in their skills and their own work. He has also involved the sales and marketing departments in key recruitment decisions to ensure the company recruit electronics experts who share the right values. This provides the team with a far more joined up approach, customers with a more passionate team and the industry as a whole with a tour de force of momentum.
Big Plans
Richard plans to grow his team of engineers to 14 in the near future creating a sustainable working environment focused on providing tech founders and product managers with the best skills and people in order to achieve great things with reliable, profitable products.
His personality
Those that encounter and work with Richard know that he is renowned for his open and honest approach. His candid way of sharing his knowledge and thoughts allow for ongoing clarity and creating an approachable collaborative environment for his team and customers. In essence he is always on the hunt to help people push the boundaries of what they can achieve in terms of projects and their careers (or businesses) whilst also being upfront about the risks and challenges they will face.
In summary
We’d love you to consider Richard for this award. His general approach as MD has created a committed and passionate culture that attracts like-minded talented people who win together and share their knowledge with the electronics industry, and where sustainable growth for the business and our customers is always front of mind.