As our new Managing Director, we think it’s fair to say that Bruce Macdonald has an exciting time ahead! In our ‘Year of Evolution’ and far, far beyond. We take advantage of a rare opportunity to grab a few minutes of his time and get the inside track on what to expect next!
Q: Congratulations Bruce. The past couple of months must have gone past in a flash – how has it been for you?
Well… It’s been a whirlwind!! I have been travelling around meeting our customers, spending a lot of time with our team and learning an awful lot! It’s been very exciting, really interesting and sometimes challenging but I wouldn’t change a minute of it.
I’ve been with the business for over three years so I had a solid understanding of how Pathfinder Homes operates, the product and the market. I also, already had a clear vision of where I wanted things to progress internally and externally and feedback supports my ideas. I am looking forward to continuing to implement the changes required to push Pathfinder Homes to where I would like it to be.
Q: When you were little what did you want to do for a living?
A: Believe it or not, I wanted to be a vessel’s Helmsman, or a captain! My dad served in the Merchant Navy and some of my fondest childhood memories are of climbing aboard the ships my dad operated on. Whilst on board I’d explore the deck, meet the crew and spend what felt like hours admiring the structure of the ship. A past time of mine was fantasising about the possibilities and adventure the ship offered. I would see it as almost a journey into the unknown.
Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy school. As I grew older I discovered a lot distractions and wasn’t as academically committed as I perhaps should have been. I spent a lot of time playing sports, socialising with friends and exploring the great outdoors when I maybe should have been studying. In turn, when I left school the option to join the Royal Navy and become a Helmsman seemed slightly out of reach.
Q: How has your own career path brought you to this point?
A: When I left school I entered an electrician’s apprenticeship and qualified a few year later. As soon as I finished I was offered a position as an electrical inspector at the Atomic Weapon Establishment in Aldermaston and worked there for 2 years. My passion for the construction industry really sparked during this period; I found I was pretty good at it! I studied for two years to become a member of the Chartered Institute for Builders and then progressed on wards from there. I’ve enjoyed positions across the nation working on a vast range of projects from prisons to hospitals and schools to office complexes.
2013 was really a very exciting year for me, I met my business partner John Hoyle and I bought a share of Pemberton Homes, the business he formed in some 12 years earlier. Pemberton Homes are specialist luxury home builders working throughout the Southwest including; Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Cornwall.
I also joined the Pathfinder Homes team in 2013, originally on a 3 month consultancy contract. I found my experience and varied skill set within the construction and development industry offered transferable skills to the process of building a lodge or park home, essentially it’s the same principles. I went on to implement dynamic processes and supporting the team during an intense period of large orders and needless to say, I’ve been here since!
