The history of Joan Bailey’s long career in the wood industry begins with a rebellious and freedom-loving young woman, who did not want to go to college. When Joan found out that she could study at the Institute of Wood Science while earning a living in the timber industry, her career path was set.
In 1984, she joined the sales team of Schauman UK, which later became UPM Plywood, and she has stayed there ever since. In 2002, she finished her MBA whilst working. Apart from different roles in sales, Joan has been involved in developing special WISA plywood for various sectors and was instrumental in the team leading the UK market development of WISA-Spruce, WISA-Sprucefloor, WISA-Form MDO and WISA-SpruceFR.
Thinking ahead for the customers
Today, Joan is a sales manager in UPM Plywood’s UK and Ireland team, focusing on the UK panel trading business with selected partners.
"Whether it's sales support, technical enquiries, or a carbon footprint issue, I can offer accurate and up-to-date information. For multi-million-pound projects or simple installation queries, I provide the trusted support behind the WISA brand. My job is to match the customers’ needs with UPM Plywood’s capabilities and make sure they fit, so it's a win-win situation for both,” Joan sums up.
Although the job description might sound simple, the job is not. Especially the recent years have been turbulent, notes Joan. “After COVID, so many things have been thrown at us. The plywood market is truly global nowadays, so everything affects the business.”
Joan’s primary tool in overcoming the global challenges is her open and honest relationship with the customers, based on strong mutual trust. She loves to talk but has evolved to be a good listener, which is an essential skill in today's business environment.
Like governments around the world, also the British government emphasises a smaller carbon footprint and the use of wood in construction – an area where the WISA products would play an important role.
“I need to have a good knowledge and understanding of the UK market and global events and think ahead for the customer. Do we need to build up our stock or prepare for upcoming legislation, for example?”
Close to the customer
“Busy” is the word that best describes Joan’s typical workday. She starts with a plan, but then her phone starts ringing, and her inbox is filled with urgent requests. “So, in the end, my day is nowhere near what I thought it was going to be at the start of the day!”
Joan is daily in touch with the customers face-to-face or via the phone from her home office in Epping, just Northeast of London. “My customers are quite local to me. I'm not too far from the Port of Tilbury, so it's easy to visit my customers there.”
Joan regularly goes to the UPM Plywood UK office in Warrington, north of Manchester to meet up with her colleagues in the UK team.
When Joan finally has free time, she spends much of it with her horse. “My life is ‘work, horse, sleep’,” she laughs.
