In our latest Inspiring Leaders piece, we spoke to John Lampon, General Manager responsible for our South Coast branch. 

John started his career as an apprentice and worked his way up to General Manager after two leaders early in his career took him under their wing. He is passionate about putting people first, communicating with staff, and being approachable – and he has a curious hobby! 

Early years 

I was born in a small fishing village just outside Bristol, called Pill. The area has a rich history of pirates and smuggling. Despite being a small village, it’s said there were 37 pubs in the area, which the pirates used to smuggle goods into. 

When I was one or two years old, my family moved a couple of miles down the road to Portishead, where I lived for 25 years. Later, I moved a few more miles further down the road to the next town and that’s where I live currently. 

I have two sisters; one is two years older than me, and the other is 16 years younger. Growing up was quite tough as my mother was just 20 when she had me and 18 when she had my older sister. My mother was a part-time nurse, and my father was a labourer. They were both incredibly hardworking, but money was tight. 

Despite this, my parents always ensured that we had a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food on the table. We never went without, but we certainly didn’t have excess. They are still together after 42 years. 

My parents instilled the value of hard work in us from a very early age. It was understood that if we wanted something, we had to work for it. 

I wasn’t very academically focused at school. I played up a bit and got into trouble. I was very good at primary school, and secondary school started off well, but then I discovered other things, like girls. My grades went downhill rapidly to the point where I didn’t really go to school very much and didn’t pay attention when I was there. I was dragged in to do my GCSEs. Without good results, it makes leaving school very difficult and makes a career challenging. 

If you put the time in, you will reap the benefits 

When I finished school at the age of 16, my parents gave me two options: either join college or get a job; they didn’t want me to stay at home without doing anything. So, I decided to join York International as an apprentice.  

Initially, I carried my school attitude with me, and as a result, my performance wasn’t up to the mark. I wasn’t taking my work seriously and was messing around a lot. However, I was lucky to have two managers and role models who believed in me. They called me in and said that they could see my potential, but I needed to work harder, or else they would have to let me go.  

They took me under their wing and mentored me, teaching me about leadership and management. They saw a spark in me and encouraged me to enrol in night school to get my management qualifications. They were very supportive and even paid for my education. That’s how my journey started, and I owe it all to them. They taught me that hard work pays off in the end. 

You need to build a network of people 

I have been fortunate to work with many different managers and people over the years, and I have learned a lot from them. Building relationships and understanding how people like to be treated is essential.  

To me, it’s important to get to know people as individuals, rather than just by their job title. I strive to be a people person, and I believe that communication and understanding are key. By identifying what makes each person tick, I can get them on board with my vision and encourage them to work together towards a common goal. 

As a leader, I aim to be both firm and fair. By using my network and matching people’s skillsets to tasks, I can help them to achieve their full potential. My leadership style is definitely focused on people and building strong relationships. 

Challenging experience with leadership 

I took on my first leadership role following successful completion on my apprenticeship and a short time as an Engineer. A few restructures happened in the organisation, and a leadership vacancy arose. One of my colleagues who was senior to me at the time and I both applied for the role, and I was successful.  

During the interview, the colleague made it clear that if they didn’t get the job and I did, they would quit the company. It was a challenging situation, and I had to work hard to win them back. I had to pay closer attention to them than to other employees to show them that I valued their contribution to the team. It was tough because I had gone from being their junior to being their manager. But, in the end, I was able to gain their trust and they stayed in the job. 

Being an effective leader 

Having a reliable network of people is crucial for success. It’s important to acknowledge that you don’t know everything and that others may know more than you in certain areas. Bringing in people with more knowledge and expertise is vital. 

Ultimately, success is all about people. Even if you’re the best leader in the world, without a strong network and the ability to build relationships, you won’t get far. This became especially clear during the Covid pandemic, when remote work made it necessary to trust and rely on others. 

Networking, people skills, and trust are all key components. Trust, in particular, is essential. When we hire someone for a job, we need to trust them to do that job without constantly monitoring them. However, if they betray that trust, consequences will follow. 

How would your team, and your family, describe you? 

I hope my team will describe me as somebody who is there for them and who they can pick up the phone to. Approachable, in a word. 

My family would describe me as honest, caring, fun, and always being there if you need me. 

I have a high level of integrity and work hard. If you’re my family or my team, you have my trust and support. I will give you everything. I will always look out for people. I am always there for them when they need me. 

What are you most proud of? 

One of my biggest accomplishments has been successfully working with people. I have a talent for identifying individuals who would be a good fit for an organisation, recognising their unique skills and abilities, and encouraging their growth and decision-making. Throughout my career, I have brought in some incredibly talented individuals who have gone on to do great things. In fact, one of them is currently being considered for a future directorial position, having qualified as an electrician only a few years ago. 

What’s your best advice? 

Do it, have a go. Don’t hold back! None of us know what we’re getting into when we start a role. Don’t be afraid to speak to people, to reach out. If we all listened to what other people say and our own insecurities, we would never step out of our comfort zone. 

Which Chubb Value resonates most with you? 

It is Protect People First because nothing is more important than our people being protected – and not just our own people, everybody. 

Ensuring that your teams return home safely at the end of the day, uninjured, and have good mental health, is of utmost importance. As an employer, it is your responsibility to take care of your staff, keep them safe, and provide an environment where they can be themselves without fear of judgment or prejudice.  

Everyone is an individual and should be treated as such. Your team should feel safe and valued at work, especially if they do not have that at home. Let’s work together to create a safe and supportive workplace for all.” 

How do you see the future changing in fire and security? 

IoT and AI are going to be such a huge part of the world. The major question is how we integrate it and make it safe and reliable for what we do. 

We must ensure we have the right protocols and security measures in place. It’s how we upskill our teams, so they embrace it and acknowledge it, and they innovate and drive that forward. 

What workplace legacy do you hope to leave? 

I’d like to hope that when people reflect on their time working with me, they think that I was honest, my integrity was there, if you ask me to do something I will do it. And mostly, I care – I genuinely care about everyone that I work with and the team. 

We get side-tracked and don’t catch up with people as often as we should, but I’m always at the end of the phone. I want to make sure you can come in and the work environment is safe for you – whether that’s because we give you PPE, or that the environment is not prejudiced. Whenever you are with me, everything is always safe. Hopefully, they take that away, and that’s how they are with people. 

What are your hobbies? 

I have a secret addiction to Lego. I need to stop buying it because it’s taking up too much space in my house! As an engineer, I enjoy building things, and it helps me relax. I’m a kid at heart. 

I love to travel and explore new places. Depending on the trip, I am happy to travel with five-star luxury or just a backpack, bed and a hole in the ground.  

I like to read a lot of biographies such as Tyson Fury and his struggle with mental health which I found inspiring.  I also enjoy books by Tim Marshall, who writes about geopolitics. The last book I read was Fix the System, not the Women by Laura Bates. It was really interesting and definitely made me question some of my prejudices and how I see the world as a white male who’s in his 40s. 

I also love movies. My favourite is The Goonies. Who doesn’t want to find a pirate ship filled with treasure? It’s just a good, fun film. 

How do you relax? 

I used to do a lot of running but I’ve been injured, so instead of running I’m building Lego, some online gaming, and a lot of walking and hiking. Being outdoors is a great way of taking time for yourself and just thinking. 

Sometimes I go for a walk on my own and just listen to music or an audiobook. If my wife and I are both working at home we might go out for half-an-hour at lunchtime and just chat. You have to make that time to get away and get a bit of exercise. We get so caught up with work that we sometimes let that slip. 

What’s your favourite food? 

I’ll eat anything. I love cooking and do a lot of it. I will always try something different. Whenever I go abroad, I will always eat local food.  

Who would attend your dream dinner – and what would you cook? 

I’d invite my granddad. He passed away when I was one, so I never got to know him. I don’t have any memories of him whatsoever. I’d love to get to know him and his experience during the war. He signed up in the Merchant Navy when he was just 14. When they found out how old he really was it was too late to ship him back. 

I’d also like to invite Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin. I’d love to hear their stories and find out what it was like in space and land on the moon. 

I’d cook something quite simple. My spaghetti bolognese is pretty good. I could cook it in advance and spend more time talking to people rather than slaving over a hot stove. 

What’s your last piece of advice? 

Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Being supportive and supported is so important. We don’t all get it right every time, but as long as we learn from it. 

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