Meet Lucy Pinter Chair of E,D&I

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small suburb of Stoke-on-Trent called Trentham, you might know it as the home of Trentham Monkey Forest or more excitingly the home of Stoke City’s Bet365 Stadium.

What did you study at university?

I studied English and Creative Writing at Staffordshire University. My main passions were Poetry and Screenplays, I still write poetry now, it’s a lot more freeing to write when I’m not being scrutinized!

What is it like to be a graduate at Exyte Hargreaves?

Being a graduate at Exyte Hargreaves is challenging, it presents me with new challenges and skills every day. Not one day is the same which is something that I love. I also have a certain amount of freedom to decide my own path. One of the things I like the most about being a graduate here is a lot of the time (if not all of the time) I’m thrown into the deep end and that suits me perfectly.

What are you responsible for in your role?

Within my graduate role I am mainly responsible for my own learning and development within the Work Winning function. I have been given some responsibilities such as writing tender responses, creating a ‘new look’ of tender documents in InDesign to elevate our tender submissions, I have led a small section of a bid through from the kick-off meeting until submission (which was my biggest responsibility so far and pushed me the furthest out of my comfort zone), I have attended client meetings and represented the business externally. I get to experience 3 months in each section of the business which has this far taken me through Marketing, Bids and Business Development, I’m looking forward to spending some time on projects and also in manufacturing.

I have recently been allocated the role of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Chair which I am in the early stages of developing my strategy for which is a big responsibility not only within my function but business wide. 

What are you most passionate about in your role?

I’m passionate about learning as much as I can about all aspects of the business, I’m really keen to get my hands dirty and get involved with everything that would give me a broad outlook on how our business works. I am passionate about being outside of my comfort zone, I am the type of person who likes to be pushed to the extreme.

I feel very strongly about making a difference, whether that is in everyday life or in the bigger picture. I want to be a part of the change in the industry. I am really lucky to have a step mum in the industry who has excelled so much in her career at a young age and has given me the passion to be like her.

What challenges have you had to overcome?

Growing up in Stoke poses a few challenges really, its such a small place with not a lot of investment and development, it doesn’t tend to be a place to live if you want to branch out and do something different. Leaving Stoke and setting up a life for myself under my own steam in a new city at 22 was a big challenge but one I am forever proud of myself for. 

I was diagnosed with depression and severe anxiety when I was around 19 and it has affected me greatly since a long time before then and still to this day. I’d say that is the biggest challenge I have had and I can candidly say that I am yet to overcome it but it’s given me a different outlook on my life and I’m really good at dealing with it now.

What has been your greatest achievement at Exyte Hargreaves?

My greatest achievement so far has definitely been my appointment as E,D&I Chair for the business. I have struggled with Imposter Syndrome massively since joining the business from a non-engineering background, to go through the interview process and for the panel to pick me was really a momentous moment for me. I feel like this role really suits me and it’s given me a bigger purpose in the business and the industry.

What do you hope to achieve over the next 3 years at Exyte Hargreaves?

This is a big question, there is so much I want to achieve in the next 3 years. I will have completed my Grad Scheme and by then I want to have achieved at least 1 professional qualification in that time. I hope to be given a permanent job with Exyte Hargreaves that is demanding and pushes me to continuously develop my skills. 

In terms of my E,D&I role, I want the industry to look at us and take notes.

Can you share with us an interesting fact about you?

I got into Mensa with an IQ of 152, I am ¼ Austrian, I ski, I play hockey for Didsbury Greys LHC and captained my Uni hockey team. I’m a massive tom boy really, if I’m not playing a sport I’m watching sports