Q&A with Julia Cooke, Client Support Manager at CPC
Tell me briefly about your role.
As client support manager for CPC, my role involves introducing public sector clients to our frameworks and establishing and building strong relationships with them. I make clients aware of the different options available and work together with them to find the best solution to meet their requirements. We currently offer 18 different frameworks designed for a host of public sector projects. I cover the whole of the North West region including: Cheshire, Cumbria, Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
What was your professional background before you joined CPC?
I have worked for many years in the public sector, where I have worked for a local authority, an NHS Trust and within the education sector. I have predominately focused in these roles on improving the lives of others in local communities.
I work well with public sector clients as I understand their needs and what they need to achieve.
I have a degree in Marketing Management and having started out in marketing, I have progressed into business development roles.
Why did you join CPC? / What attracted you to the company?
Making a difference to the lives of others is key. I enjoy working in the public sector, for a not for profit organisation, as it provides me the opportunity to bring buyers and suppliers together to build, refurbish and maintain social housing and public property to the benefit of local communities.
What do you most enjoy about your role?
I enjoy meeting different people every day and helping them to find a solution to their requirements.
Describe a typical day.
Days at the moment are different due to the Covid pandemic however a typical day includes liaising with current and potential clients by email or over the phone, arranging meetings either face-to-face or via video call, and looking for opportunities to help clients in the wider news and buildings relationships with appointed companies on the framework.
How do you work with appointed companies?
I have regular meetings with appointed companies to help build strong relationships and ensure that together we are providing the best service and solution to our clients every time.
What do you most enjoy about working with public sector and housing association customers?
I find customers in the public sector are generally very friendly and approachable. As I’ve worked in the sector for many years, I have a good understanding of what’s important to my clients and what their challenges are.
What recent projects are you most proud of?
A couple of recent projects stand out. One was a re-roofing project for a hospital run by the Warrington and Halton NHS Foundation Trust which we completed with our FR2 framework. Another was the design and build of a new sixth form satellite faculty for a school in Blakley in Manchester, procured through our Modular Buildings framework.
It’s great to see projects that I’ve worked on come to fruition, making a tangible difference to those local communities.
