Ten minutes with industry guru… Tim Pollard

Wolseley’s Head of Sustainability Tim Pollard

For our second Q&A session, we spoke to Wolseley’s Head of Sustainability, Tim Pollard, and asked him about what he thinks the challenges are for today’s installer market.

Q) How long have you been in the industry?

A) 28 years man and boy. Well, man and man anyway.

Q) What’s the biggest change you’ve seen during this time?

A) Very difficult to choose, but the change in Building Regulations in 2005 requiring the fitting of high-efficiency condensing boilers must be close to the top

Q) What’s the future?

A) Unpredictable. There’s no doubt that developing technology will impact our industry just as it has affected everything else. The issues of climate change and air quality will influence all manner of products and behaviours and that will certainly include heating and water use.

Q) Why do you think people should consider a career in heating, ventilation and air conditioning?

A) I think that the blend of technical expertise and the satisfaction of achieving a tangible and valued outcome is difficult to match. But most of all, it’s the people. Our industry has a great bunch of people throughout the supply chain.

Q) What’s your favourite tool?

A) A cheese knife.

Q) Tell us your worst industry joke

A) I went to buy some camouflage work trousers the other day but I couldn’t find any.

Q) What are your thoughts on the restructure of the Department of Energy & Climate Change?

A) It could be a fantastic opportunity or the demise of any chance of a cogent, focussed energy policy, only time will tell. As an optimist, I favour the ‘opportunity’ alternative.

Q) Football or rugby?

A) I’m a season ticket holder at Wasps, so rugby is my first choice. However, as a Geordie I cannot shake a life-long interest in Newcastle United through thin and thin.

Q) What should we look out for in the future at Wolseley?

A) Further developments and commitments to first class customer service.

Q) What’s the biggest challenge for installers?

A) Keeping up to date with tsunami of regulations and accreditations which is almost a full time job on its own.

If you want to tweet Tim on his awful jokes, you can follow him on Twitter @LeamingtonSBC.

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Richard Bateman

Product Marketing Manager Plumbing and Heating

About the author

A highly experienced and passionate professional, I have over 15 years' experience as a commercial and domestic plumber and hold NVQ Level 3 qualifications from City and Guilds

Since joining RWC in 2015, I began as a technical engineer, utilising my extensive knowledge to provide exceptional support. Currently, I am thrilled to be working with the marketing department as a Product Marketing Manager. 

This role allows me to combine my technical background with a keen eye for market trends, ensuring that RWC's products meet the evolving needs of the industry. With my wealth of experience and commitment to excellence, I am proud to serve as a spokesperson for RWC, sharing our innovative solutions and contributing to the growth of the plumbing and heating sector.