Colby Hayward

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

Prior to joining The Change Organisation, I was working for my dad’s flooring company. Having been to university and spent some time travelling, I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do next. I had a friend working at The Change who was doing very well and only had positive things to say about the company. He thought I’d be a good fit for sales, so he referred me to the Sales Director and here I am today!

How has your role changed or evolved since joining?

I joined in 2018 as a New Business Account Manager. At the time, we had around 30–40 members of staff and a smaller presence in the industry, but there was a very supportive team and a clear set of goals. After around a year and a half in new business, I progressed to Senior Account Manager, having built up a healthy account base. My role became a balance between winning new business and developing the relationships I had already established. I regularly went out to meetings, looking for ways to support my customers and grow the accounts I had opened during my time in new business. After around four years with the company, I was promoted to Account Director, which at the time was the highest level within the sales team and a position for those who had been most successful within senior account management. The role was similar in many ways, but gave me greater involvement in strategic stock decisions and the opportunity to work more closely with the purchasing team. In May 2025, I was elected to the Board of Directors as Director of Business Development. While I still manage many of the accounts I built in my previous roles, my focus is now split between looking after those customers and supporting and developing the new business sales team. The company itself has changed enormously since I joined. We’re continuously developing and looking for ways to improve, but one of the most tangible examples is our offices. When I started, we occupied one unit on an industrial estate. As the business grew, that became two units, then three, four and eventually five, before we moved into our new office in Canterbury.

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

In the early days, I always liked the idea of having a “business within a business”. I was responsible for managing and growing my own accounts while having the support and resources of the wider company around me. As I’ve progressed through the company and become a Director, I now enjoy helping others do the same. That now goes beyond sales — it’s rewarding to see people develop, progress through the ranks and build successful careers within the company. It may sound strange, but I also enjoy the challenges that are thrown at us. Working alongside others to solve problems, overcome challenges and ultimately see the company thrive gives me a huge amount of satisfaction.

What do you think sets us apart from other companies?

There are two key things for me. The first is our culture. I believe this has been fundamental to our recent success and our ability to retain people for the long term. Although we’ve grown significantly as a company, our core values have remained the same: “Our mission is to create wealth, long-term security and immense job satisfaction for all employees through a collective pursuit of excellence.” The second is our commitment to promoting from within. All of our managers and directors started in entry-level roles within the company. We’re quick to identify people with potential and, importantly, give them the support and opportunities they need to progress through the business. I think this has been key to our success because every manager has, at some point, “been in your shoes”. They understand the roles they’re managing, the challenges people face and the areas where things can be improved. When they progress into management positions, they can use that experience to make positive changes and better support the people coming through behind them.

What do you see for the future?

I see continued growth. The company is heading in one direction, and we’ve built a team of people who share the same culture, ambition and desire to keep moving forward. There are many people within the business who have the potential to play a significant part in our future, and I’m looking forward to supporting that development and being part of the next stage of The Change Organisation’s journey.

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