An interview with Chris Neville, Lead Project Coordinator

Chris joined CLM in 2016 when the Company was just 18 months old – he’s proud to have the title of employee number four. Understandably Chris knows CLM like the back of his hand and now as part of the Senior Management Team, he plays an instrumental role in shaping the future of the business.

Talk us through the journey that led you to CLM.

“I’m not sure if it shaped my destiny, but I worked in a Waterstones bookshop for six years after leaving school. I did progress from a Christmas temp to a senior bookseller in that time though, supporting learning and development within the store. My experience at Waterstones showed me how much I love helping others progress within their roles, while challenging myself to learn new things that I could then use to help colleagues.

“I left in my mid 20s to return to college and started a new job as an administrator at Jaggards Solicitors in Peterborough. Again, I followed an L&D route, running all non-legal and IT training for the business. This is also where I met my CLM colleague Mike Beckwith. After four years at Jaggards, I was ready for a change and felt the chance to get in on the ground floor at CLM was an exciting opportunity and a chance to grow with a business.”

And how did your career develop at CLM?

“I joined CLM as admin but soon started working on client projects and before long, you guessed it, I was training new team members. I progressed from Project Coordinator, to Senior Project Coordinator over five years and now am proud to be a member of the Senior Management Team.”

What do you think you gained most out of working at CLM?

“I like that there’s room for both personal and professional growth. There’s freedom to work in a way which suits you as an individual, and the opportunities are there for the taking. For example, I enjoy helping others progress and at CLM, I not only train new colleagues, I provide support to Senior Project Coordinators and go out to train ICPs and IDNOs on the work we do, helping them to better understand the landrights process. I’m passionate about CLM being the go to landrights company and giving the best service to everyone possible.”

What opportunities do you think CLM has in the energy industry?

“CLM’s scope of works is broadening, and that’s aligned with how the energy industry is evolving. The nature of work we’re taking on is becoming more challenging which I find quite exciting and as a result we’re developing our offering, including services like route proving and risk assessments for example, to help advise our clients on the best options to consider.”