Last updated at 14:23, Tuesday, 01 May 2012

STEVE Pryer is the deputy chief executive of Furness Building Society.

HARD WORK: Steve Pryer

He hails from Yarlside in Barrow and is responsible for managing the company’s mortgages and investments, as well as standing in for the chief executive.

What school did you go to?

Roose School and then Barrow Grammar School.

What was your favourite subject?

Geography.

What qualifications did you leave with?

The school became Parkview Comprehensive in 1979 and I did the second year of my A-Levels at the newly-opened Barrow Sixth Form College.

Did you go on to further/higher education – if so, where and what to study?

I went to Birmingham University and achieved a bachelor of commerce honours degree.

I also achieved an MBA from Henley Management College and became one of the first chartered managers in the UK, before embarking on a series of management coaching qualifications.

What was the best advice/learning you got at school or college?

Work hard and choose a subject or job that you enjoy.

What was your ambition before you got your first job?

I really would have liked to have worked on a farm but I realised it didn’t pay particularly well.

What was your first job?

I worked on a dairy farm at Stank at weekends and during school holidays.

I helped out with most tasks and as soon as I was 16 I achieved my tractor driving licence.

I was then able to go out on the open road with the tractor and all manner of farm equipment.

It did cause some consternation at Yarlside when I went home for lunch with a muck spreader attached to the tractor.

What has been your career path between your first job and the one you do today?

I did my degree and then came back to Barrow and worked for two years on the Morecambe Bay gas field development project.

Then I went to London and worked for an oil company for two years and then I worked for an American bank, Chase Manhattan.

I came back to my home town in 1993 and have been at FBS for almost 19 years.

What’s the best thing about your job?

The variety and helping colleagues provide excellent service to our customers.

What one thing would you change about your job if you could?

More hours in the day, but that’s not really changing the job. I’d like more time to read background information.

What advice would you give someone starting out today?

Try and undertake some work experience and go on work placements.

I’d also advise talking to people who are working in the industry.

First published at 13:35, Tuesday, 01 May 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk