Today, we are talking with Mark Gilmore, the new managing director at MyDek. He joined the team at the end of 2023, with decades of experience across the industry.
Mark began his career in the building maintenance industry by joining his father’s business. There, he played a pivotal role in supplying flat roofing systems to local councils and saw the company expand into metal rainwater systems and respond to market trends with bespoke architectural designs, including the popular bullnose style of the 1990s. Mark’s expertise and leadership were showcased in high-profile projects such as the re-roofing of the No. 1 hangar at Gatwick Airport and the BA World Cargo Centre at Heathrow, which established his company as a trusted partner for architects.
Transitioning from contract management to sales and marketing, Mark gained a wealth of experience across various business facets, from on-site work and legal aspects to design and manufacturing. His career later took a turn into the first-aid and healthcare industry, where he focused on building a national brand, developing the supply chain, and regulatory compliance.
When the opportunity came to join MyDek as managing director, Mark was ready to come back to his career roots and commented that it ‘felt like coming home’.
Here Mark shares some insights into his new role and his accomplishments over the past seven months at MyDek.
Q: Mark, what attracted you to MyDek as a business?
A: I was drawn to MyDek because of its commitment to quality products that address essential needs while balancing functionality and aesthetics. Its mission to enhance the safety of apartment communities with safe, smart, and sustainable non-combustible deck systems really resonated with me. MyDek’s focus on creating meaningful products that truly improve people’s lives was something I wanted to be a part of. Throughout my career, I’ve realised that my greatest passion lies in growing businesses by developing people, and MyDek embodies this philosophy.
I was also drawn to MyDek’s company culture, which was evident from the beginning. The company upholds five fundamental values, all of which resonated with me:
– Learning: Always learning and innovating
– Impact: Creating impact and delivering results
– Freedom: Freedom to fulfil potential
– Trust: Constantly caring and trusting deeply
– Synergy: Partnering and transformation.
These values are central to our way of working. Recently, we started a weekly ‘Values Shout-Out’ where employees nominate team members for recognition based on their demonstration of these values. Each week, we have a great mix of team members nominated, which illustrates how everyone at MyDek works with shared principles towards our goals.
I have witnessed significant changes in the industry over the past 20 years, including advancements in materials and manufacturing, health and safety regulations, technology, off-site construction, sustainability, and efficiency. Joining MyDek felt like the perfect opportunity to leverage my experience and contribute to a forward-thinking company.
Q: What do you think are the key challenges facing the construction industry today?
A: One of the major challenges is the remediation sector, where construction companies need to implement necessary changes within an acceptable time frame. There are two primary factors contributing to this issue: the availability of the funds required for these changes and the limited resources within the construction sector to address them.
Many businesses in the industry are struggling with financial problems, such as bad debts or even going bust. While the drive for enhanced safety is a positive development, it does add extra layers to existing processes, which can affect planning timescales.
Q: What do you see as some of our key business accomplishments over the last seven months?
A: Since I joined, one of my main focuses has been to cut out complexity, to simplify and refine processes, and to establish a more scalable base for the business. MyDek has continued to be highly innovative, constantly striving to better serve the market, improve our products, enhance service levels, and meet customer needs without compromise.
We’ve been working on some exciting product developments that we look forward to bringing to the market soon. Additionally, we’ve conducted in-depth customer feedback sessions to understand how we can continue to improve and to better meet our customers’ needs.
Q: What are you looking forward to most about the future of MyDek, both in the next seven months and beyond?
A: I’m particularly excited about the new product innovations we have in the pipeline. We’re also exploring the possibility of adapting our existing products for new applications and expanding our product offerings to cater to a wider range of budget requirements while further developing our environmental credentials.
Another key focus is continuing to share our knowledge on important topics such as the Building Safety Act through our CPD sessions delivered both in person and virtually. These sessions have led to valuable conversations and mutual learnings between MyDek and our customers, and we look forward to expanding the range of topics covered.