Ralph Harris

What do you do in the business?

If it has a £ sign, I’ll be involved. If it doesn’t, I’ll contribute where I can — and happily, most things lead back to a £ sign fairly quickly. Finance, in its simplest form, is about tracking and reporting business transactions. The value comes from using those results to identify patterns and forecast what will benefit or harm the company in the future. The aim is to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.

My role involves safeguarding the company’s financial assets, understanding how much we can afford to invest, evaluating the best options, assessing risk, and deciding which projects to pursue based on available skills and capacity. From there, it’s about gaining buy-in, implementing decisions responsibly, and regularly reviewing progress. If something isn’t working, we address it openly and find solutions.

Alongside Finance, I am the de facto lead for a wide range of Head Office and Shared Services functions, including IT, Facilities, HR, Payroll, Legal, Insurance, ISO Quality, and various contracts and leases. I’m fortunate to have an excellent team around me, and I wouldn’t claim to know more than they do about their specialist areas. Having competent, dependable staff makes the working day easier and more enjoyable, and brings significant benefits to the business through a close, experienced team that collaborates well and consistently improves the whole.

What’s your background?

Always a lover of numbers, I studied Engineering at Birmingham University before being drawn into a career in finance. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, I was quickly moved into industry by my employer during the recession of the early ’90s. I embraced the challenge, taking on a range of roles that included raising market capital for growth and restructuring companies to ensure their long-term stability — initially in rental companies and later in the education sector.

I thrive on challenge, and at CT Skills we’ve certainly had our share of highs and lows, including shifts in strategy, contract changes, new products, new teams, and of course Covid. But we keep evolving and progressing together, and I’ve enjoyed almost every minute of it.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received or given?

Life’s a game: play to win. Understand the rules. Respect the participants.
The “sleep at night” test: If a decision would keep you awake at night, discuss it with a colleague and revisit your strategy. A problem shared is a problem halved — we’re not employed to bend rules or take excessive risks.
The “what would your parents say?” test: If they’d disapprove, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.

We are, however, employed to find alternative solutions and put them into action.