A new business development manager role has been created at furniture technology centre FIRA.
Sue Mann has been promoted to the new role which focuses on liaising with existing and potential members and customers to understand the needs of their business and explain how the relevant FIRA services and projects can assist in meeting their business objectives.
Moving on from her role as account manager, Sue is now in her 10th year at FIRA. Talking about her new role, she says: “My job will be to promote all of FIRA’s services according to a company’s needs, from product testing to environmental consultation services.”
Working in a variety of different roles during her time at FIRA, Sue has always been a point of contact for members and customers. She has developed an in-depth knowledge of British and European Standards and confidently answers a wide range of enquiries about all types of product testing on a daily basis.
She continues: “When I visit our customers and members, some of whom hold our awards and accreditations, I can talk to them about how they can use their affiliation with FIRA to their advantage. This includes ensuring that members are taking full advantage of the benefits they are entitled to, such as marketing opportunities, and finding out if we can assist our customers in other ways. As a recent example, I was able to tell a customer that they would be able to get a FIRA certificate at our accredited lab in Malaysia.”
Sue started her career with FIRA in 2004 as office manager, before moving, in 2006, to the role of customer service manager for the whole organisation. She was responsible for a team of receptionists and technical staff. In 2011, Sue became an account manager, tasked with liaising with key clients to ensure they had a single point of contact for all FIRA services.
Prior to her time at FIRA, Sue worked in advertising, as a PA and as a customer service manager. Her roles as a PA included working for a wine importer and a Lord.
