Charlie Benge

What were you doing prior to working at the Change Organisation?

Before joining the company, I was on an apprenticeship scheme for a company called Middleton Murrey who got me a placement for The Change Organisation. At the time, I was originally planning to join the Royal Marines, so I needed some form of interim employment while preparing for that route. Those plans eventually fell through, and I ended up joining the Change Organisation instead. From there, I never really wanted to leave.

How has your role changed or evolved since joining?

I started right at the bottom in a sales role. Being a 17-year-old fresh out of education and entering the working world for the first time, I quickly realised sales wasn't naturally suited to me at that stage. Because of that, I moved across into the administration and support side of the business, where I spent around three years developing my skills and understanding of the company. Later on, after one of the company barbecues, and after giving it the big one a little bit I moved back into sales. Within a year, I progressed into a Senior Sales role, and more recently I became a Director as well as Systems Manager. Now, I oversee support teams alongside the systems and processes that sit behind sales operations.

What elements about your role in particular and the company in general do you enjoy most?

One of the things I enjoy most is that there's always something to do. There's never really a point where you're sat waiting around for work to come in. The days go quickly because you're constantly busy and productive, and that gives you a real sense of satisfaction. A lot of my role is customer-facing as well, so I enjoy speaking with people and building those relationships. Having that interaction with customers is one of the best parts of the job. More generally, the atmosphere within the company is brilliant. Everyone knows everyone, and there's a real team mentality throughout the business. There's also always something enjoyable to look forward to whether that's company events abroad, barbecues, incentives, or Christmas parties. You hear friends and family talk about hating where they work, but this place is different. People genuinely enjoy being here.

What factors do you feel differentiate the company from other businesses?

It's difficult for me to compare directly because I haven't worked elsewhere, but one thing that stands out here is how connected everyone is across the business. Even though it's a private company with a clear structure, everyone interacts with one another regardless of role or position, from the owner of the business through to people who have just started in the warehouse. Everyone is treated as an important part of the wider machine. At larger or more corporate companies, I imagine people stay within their own departments and don't really branch out beyond them. Here, there's a lot more freedom to collaborate and speak with whoever you need to in order to get things done. There's a genuine team culture throughout the company, not just within individual departments but across the whole business. The company culture also goes beyond just work. The events, incentives, trips abroad, and social side of the business make a huge difference. There's always something positive on the horizon, and it creates an environment people genuinely enjoy being part of.

What's been the most significant change or development in the business since your time here?

The company has always stayed true to what it's good at, but the biggest change has been the recognition we now receive within the industry. When I first joined, people and vendors often hadn't heard of us. We had to fight for every opportunity, and larger distributors were prioritised ahead of us. Now, we're recognised as one of the major players ourselves. Vendors know who we are, we're respected within the channel, and we're seen as operating in the same space as the larger established businesses. Another major change has been the growth of the company physically. Moving into this larger, custom-built office space has been a huge step forward and reflects how much the business has evolved. More than anything, though, the biggest development has been seeing the industry acknowledge the hard work everyone here has put in over the years.

What do you see for the future?

It's difficult to predict exactly where the industry will go because everything changes so quickly, especially in technology. What I do believe is that, because of the people we have here and the way the company operates, we'll continue moving forward rather than backwards. Whether that growth comes from expanding what we already do or moving into entirely new areas, I think the culture and mindset within the business will keep driving success. The people here are the biggest strength of the company. Even customers say that if they had teams like ours, their businesses would be significantly more successful. It's not necessarily about policies or processes, it's the people and the culture. Everyone feeds off each other's energy and work ethic, and because of that, the company continues to succeed. I can't see that changing regardless of what direction the business takes in the future.