To support our continued growth, we recently welcomed Daniel Haywood to the Vesta team, who has progressed internally to join us as a Group Leader. To help you get to know Daniel, we sat down with him to discuss his journey within our group so far and find out a bit more about his life outside of work.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your background
Born and bred in Slough, I now live in Bath in the UK after decades of living and working in and around London. I worked for a large social enterprise for a number of years in senior commercial roles before joining the CSI group (Jonas Software) in 2015. It was a great decision as I progressed from General Manager of one small but growing business unit through to Managing Director of 3 businesses.
Fast forward to now and I’ve joined Vesta as a Group Leader!
I previously studied Sport Science and always thought I would become a PE teacher, but once I started my career, I realised I really enjoyed working with numbers and people. As such, I’m so happy I’ve progressed into Vesta many years on, as it’s a great way to work with both.
What made you choose this role as the next step in your career?
Having worked within the wider CSI group for over 8 years, I wanted a new challenge to grow even further. When this opportunity as a Group Leader within Vesta became available, it was too good to miss!
I am currently focused on the integration of a new acquisition, passing on the best practice I have learned over the years, alongside the new things I’m learning every day. Vesta is a very fast-paced organisation with a fantastic vision and strategy. It’s brilliant to be a part of it and to contribute.
What are your favourite books/podcasts?
My top book that I recommend a lot is Vivid Vision by Cameroon Herold. I was lucky to meet him at a CSI event and the book has really inspired me on how to create a vision for the future within work.
Another that I would recommend is The Man Who Cycled The World by Mark Beaumont – it’s a fascinating read about how he cycled the world across many tough terrains with no real technology or support. It focuses on survival, as he could only carry so much, and details how some days he didn’t even know where his next meal would come from.
For podcasts, you’ll find me listening to anything related to football, and specifically anything that talks about football in the 90s – my favourite era of the sport!
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Apart from spending time with my family (wife, two kids and two dogs), I have become obsessed with cycling and do my best to do some form of it every day (road bike/spinning/turbo trainer). I love a long distance cycle and managed to cycle Lands End to John o’Groats in April 2023.
Outside of this I coach my son’s football team, which takes up a lot of my evenings and weekends, and is a great way to switch off from work. As a hobby it can be hard, as it sucks you in and there are many emotions that you go through – particularly during matches! I focus a lot on motivation, never giving up, positive attitudes and working as a team more than the actual skills/ability, and so far so good with our results!
Who inspires you?
Without sounding cliche or cheesy, my wife and kids inspire me. My wife works for a mental health charity and the way she works and puts everything into a very demanding job (but always with a smile and positive outlook) is very inspiring. My kids inspire me because they are so curious and take advantage of different opportunities, either sporting or academically, and it’s a pleasure to watch them grow.
If you could learn to do absolutely anything, what would it be?
That is a great question! There are lots of things I would like to learn – carpentry would be one, designing houses would be another – but languages would probably be the biggest one I would and should dedicate time to, as I think it opens up your mind and opportunities.
What is your favourite quote?
I have a couple, but the one I talk about the most is ‘balance is the most important word in the dictionary’.
For me everything is about balance. What do I mean? Well, for example, everything you eat/drink should be in balance and the same as within work. The overview of work/life balance, the way you coach people (push/pull), being kind/nice and ensuring you balance the way you work, meetings/calls/emails/time to actually get some work done. So, for me, getting the balance right is my favourite quote.
