STG Bright Light Series: Lynn Benham

In our Bright Lights series, we’re showcasing some of our brilliant employees and their experience here at STG Aerospace. In this month’s feature we talked to Lynn Benham, our Business Development Executive.  

 

In a nutshell, tell us a little bit about your career journey to this point 

When I left school, I knew I didn’t want to go to university, it was never on my radar, so I started working at 18. I began working in a Sales Admin office at Mitel which I really enjoyed, and then moved on to work in customer service and sales at Fiamme Industrial Batteries.  

I took some time away from working, when my husband and I had our sons, as I wanted to be present for their first milestones in life. After being a stay-at-home-mum for a couple of years, I was ready to dip my toe back into the working world once more.  I started working an evening job at a local gold club.   I then started working at Dewstow Gardens and Grottoes, welcoming coaches full of visitors from all over the world. Suffice it to say, I’ve had a very varied career!  

That’s when I got a call from my friend, who worked for STG at the time, and she told me they were looking for a receptionist to join their team. She knew I was looking to get back into full-time work, and she loved working at STG herself, so it sounded like the perfect opportunity.  

I was a little apprehensive at first, as it was my first time back in an office since before starting a family, but once I started at STG, I loved it!  

 

You’ve been with STG for six years now, what has your journey been like so far?  

I started my journey at STG as a receptionist, where I got to work implementing everything we needed– from creating Royal Mail accounts and visitor badges, to booking company visits and board meetings.  I was there to greet visitors and help support anyone, or department, who needed it.  

I loved the role, because I got the opportunity to work with each and every department and got to know the whole STG team. I had the privilege of working with the directors and supporting the work they did too, which broadened my scope and experience within the company.  

Then the pandemic hit. I was furloughed for a short period of time at the beginning of the pandemic, and was then a high-risk redundancy role, because there was no longer a requirement for reception, when the world shut down.  I loved working for STG, so told the management team I would be open to other roles within the company.  

Fortunately, once the pandemic started to ease, I was taken on part time within the sales administration team. That quickly grew to full time, because aircrafts started flying again and we were really busy supporting our customers. During my time at STG I had  got to know each department and more about our technologies and certifications to support customers with their emergency exit and cabin lighting requirements – so I was excited to put everything I’d learnt into action to help support our customers across the globe.  

A few months ago I was asked if I’d like a new challenge – to be a Business Development Executive. I wanted to build on the skills I’d learnt, and this seemed the perfect opportunity, so I jumped at it.

 

What’s your favourite moment at STG so far? 

Since starting my new Business Development role, just a few short months ago, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to travel all over Europe! I’ve been to Croatia, Germany, and Dublin to meet customers and share the amazing things STG do.  

 

Would you recommend working at STG? 

Absolutely! One of my favourite things about working for STG is the job satisfaction.  I love all the roles I had here, the team around me, and the customers we work with. It’s a positive environment and extremely interesting industry.  

On a personal level, STG has supported me throughout my career. They have helped me learn and progress through my different roles and given me the opportunity to grow. They have kindly allowed me to work flexibly, so that I can have my dream career, while taking care of my family, and not having to choose between the two. 

 

What have you learned from working at STG? 

I’m always learning. We have an amazing open-door policy here, and flat hierarchy.  So I really do feel like I can ask any of my colleagues, no matter their title, questions or for help, and they will be supportive.  

I started talking to everyone and learning about each and every role within the business as a receptionist six years ago, and I believe that curiosity has given me the skills and experience that I need to be successful in my current role. I’m looking forward to meeting more existing, new and prospective customers and continuing to refine my knowledge to better support them.