PUTTING THE PATIENT AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO

Ambition speaks to Jeremy Eakin, as he takes a step back from his CEO role at Eakin Healthcare.

Can you tell me a bit about Eakin Healthcare?

Eakin Healthcare is a family-owned business headquartered in Northern Ireland, that manufactures and supplies medical devices for ostomy, wound, respiratory and surgical needs. Our products and services are available in over 50 countries internationally and we have over 700 employees in nine countries with subsidiaries in Ireland, Netherlands, France, Japan and most recently, Germany. All our manufacturing takes place in the UK across our core sites in Comber, Coleraine and Cardiff. We’ve grown significantly in recent years, both organically and through acquisition.

Our vision is to be a truly global, peopleinvested, trusted partner for healthcare professionals and people who rely on our innovative solutions, in focused therapeutic areas, to improve outcomes and quality of life. We are united across the business by our genuine passion for caring, working together to improve people’s lives every day.

The company has been in the hands of the Eakin family since it was established in 1973 – what makes a family run business different/unique?

There are two main qualities that make a family business different. First is the prioritisation of long-term strategy and goals over short-term objectives and results. By long-term, I mean generational. Much of what we plan for is a decade away allowing the short to medium-term to fall into place as a journey. Annual objectives and performance remain important but in the context of the longer-term direction which everyone is aligned to and buys into. We also plan long-term with regards to succession and recognise the importance of outside talent and not just having reliance on family members.

The other unique feature is the impact on the culture. We’ve always been blessed with great employees, and not only do they buy into the company values and purpose, but they also rally and support the family personally. It genuinely feels like an extension to the family itself. That also supports the engagement of the business within our local communities.

You are stepping back from running the business, what will Eakin Healthcare look like as a family-owned business rather than family-run business?

Over the years it has not just been the family which has built the business, but a collective effort with our colleagues – that’s not going to change. The family started the business and instilled a purpose, values and culture, but ultimately it has been our terrific team that has helped to successfully drive the business, putting patient need at the heart of everything we do. That will remain our ethos.

However, the family have also put in place policies, procedures and governance protocols to ensure that compliance and integrity are paramount and to ensure that decisions and behaviours are consistent with our strategy, brand and culture.

Why was now the right time for you to take this step, is it something that you had been planning for a while?

The family has been playing the long game and considering future structures and generational change for many years now. While the primary objective is for long-term sustainable growth of the business, we’ve also focused on structuring the business in such a way that it is future proofed to remain in family ownership whether family members work in the business or not.

My brother took a step back a couple of years ago leaving me as the remaining second-generation member in the business. The third generation are just at the start of their working careers and have yet to really formalise their futures so it is appropriate for the family to ensure that the business can continue to thrive whether they are in or out of the business.

Although I have hopefully many more years to contribute positively, I feel that now is a good time to bring in a non-family CEO, allowing me to focus on my role as a non-executive board member. It facilitates the consideration of other external projects which align with and support the business, but which are not running the organisation on a day-to-day basis.

What legacy do you aim to leave behind – is there a particular career highlight?

I believe that both generations have made their own positive contribution to the business. By founding the business, my father invented a unique product in the Eakin Cohesive Seal, which truly made, and continues to make, a difference to the quality of life of people with a stoma. His product development and focus on improving lives put the patient at the heart of everything we do, which created the ethos of our business.

As second-generation leaders of the business my brother and I built on that foundation and grew the business significantly giving it a clear sense of direction and purpose. We expanded geographically and diversified horizontally and vertically. As the business scaled,

I have also placed emphasis on not just the patients we serve, but on supporting and developing our amazing team of employees who have made the business what it is today. I’m incredibly proud of our team and of the culture we have fostered and am grateful to them all for their huge contribution and support.

There are so many positives that I can take from my time in the business so there’s not one particular career highlight that I would identify, but I have really enjoyed the part of my role that took me outside of the business to visit healthcare professionals in their workplace and to see the genuine impact which our products have on the people who use them on a daily basis. That’s such a rewarding experience. www.eakinhealthcare.com

What will the transition look like as a new CEO is introduced into the company?

It’s important that the transition is not rushed. Stakeholders will want to be reassured about continuity and stability. The newly appointed CEO will take time to learn about the business, values, culture and brands. Most importantly, however, they will also need to get to know the team and take time to meet and reassure our colleagues. There will be a suitable period of overlap while that takes place and then I will start to step back from the day-to-day executive role.

What are the priorities for Eakin Healthcare over the next 5-10 years?

The long-term future of the business is about sustainable growth with the patient at the heart of everything we do. In addition to developing a future growth strategy for the business, priorities will be the protection of our culture and values and the continued development of our brands. Our peoplecustomers and employees - remaining at our core.

In addition to all the external challenges which every business is now facing as we live in a state of permacrisis, future priorities must take into account ESG as a significant focus of sustainability. We must also recognise that digitisation must be embraced internally and considered as a part of our products and service.

How do you mark success in Eakin Healthcare?

As a business we’re getting much better at staying focused and aligning all our efforts and employees behind a single business plan with clear objectives and goals. Until recently we were a group of businesses each with their own separate ambitions, but following a major restructure in early 2022, the businesses integrated into one single Eakin Healthcare with a clear business plan and objectives.

That has had a significant and positive impact on the culture and on our sense of direction and purpose, something everyone buys into and which the business and employees can measure their performance against.

At the moment, we’re really focused on sustainable growth in our three core therapeutic areas of Ostomy, Respiratory and Surgical, with a major emphasis on product development, operational efficiencies and increased market share in key markets. We’re already seeing great progress with each of these and see no reason why that ambition won’t continue with the same great team under a new leader who just happens to have a different surname from the business!

Jane Allen is founder of Jane’s Kitchen, one of the most successful catering companies in Northern Ireland which is celebrating 35 years in business this year. She is also CEO of Magheramorne Estate, a private venue in County Antrim set among 42 acres where she and her family host and cater for exclusive weddings, corporate and private events as a family business.

I’m a great believer in following your dreams. As someone who started off cooking and baking in the kitchen of my parents’ farm at the Clougher, Ballymena, my very first catering contract was with a local butcher who asked me to make sausage rolls and vol au vents! I’m now celebrating 35 years in business as Jane’s Kitchen having prepared food for King Charles and Queen Camilla, and most recently for the “Agreement Twenty-Five” celebration dinner hosted by former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, and the Chancellor of QUB, Secretary Hillary R. Clinton at Queen’s University Belfast. Of course, there were several steps in between, and a few bumps along the road, but I was always determined and that, coupled with hard work and a drive to build a successful business, has certainly paid off.

Amazing things can be achieved when you get the formula right with your team. While everyone has their own individual responsibilities and may perform brilliantly within their own specific role, it’s no good if the overall goal isn’t achieved. We run a very tight and efficient team with my son James as logistics manager, and my daughters Katherine, head of Events, Sales & Marketing and Sara, head of Food and Beverage. With an additional staff of 14 full time and 30 casual, we definitely “punch above our weight” with the number of events we host and cater for every week, and none of this would be possible without consistently pulling together as a cohesive group.

3. INVEST IN YOUR STAFF

Many sectors are facing difficulties in recruiting and training staff – probably none more so than the hospitality industry. I can’t stress enough the importance of investing in training, especially in the service sector. It’s the only way to deliver the best customer experience and ensure that your own standards are met, especially true for hospitality venues who often “staff up” for larger events but need to maintain the highest service levels. Take the time as an employer to make this happen, even if you must deliver