Logged In With…John Baddeley of Wake Smith Solicitors
JOHN Baddeley is a partner in the company commercial team at Wake Smith Solicitors in Sheffield and a member of the firm’s management board.
Describe yourself in a Tweet
Young at heart pragmatist with his feet on the ground
What are your career highlights?
Acting on a £350m NHS IT project, implementing a national integrated HR and Payroll system for the NHS on behalf of McKesson.
This involved negotiations with the NHS and subcontracts with Oracle, IBM and PWC from invitation to tender to completion some 18 months later.
What’s on your iPod?
Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Beirut, Bombay Bicycle Club…. anything that my 20 year old son loads onto it.
What has been your favourite/worst job?
My worst job was working as a petrol pump attendant in a blizzard when I was 17. Character building, you could say.
Which public figure do you admire most and why?
Nelson Mandela for his dignity after being released from Robben Island.
Are you worth what you’re paid? Why?
Of course, because I’m worth it!
What has been your biggest business mistake/achievement?
I would never admit to it!
What is your pet peeve both in and out of work?
Lack of punctuality – the occasional slip is understandable, but anything else is just inexcusable.
Who has had the biggest influence on your career?
My wife
What do you enjoy most and least about your role?
Most: The variety of businesses and the interesting people you meet
Least: Due diligence
What’s the key to managing people?
Listening – it’s the key to understanding how to manage and manage well.
What are the biggest barriers to your organisation’s success?
Over regulation of the legal profession
What would make Yorkshire an even better place to live and work?
Being 20o further south. Sheffield is a great city, but a much longer warmer summer would make it even better.
If you weren’t doing what you’re doing now, what alternative career would you choose and why?
Restaurateur– I enjoy my food but I would probably eat and drink the profits!
