Andy Hayes

Background

About Andy Hayes

I haven't had a smooth career path, mine's been more like crazy paving. I've planted trees, cleaned cars, stacked shelves and had a series of dull jobs in the corporate world. Later, a creative-led degree led to a job selling frozen food door-to-door, and trying to sell ad space. I gave up when I didn't earn enough to afford the train fare into work. My luck changed when I got a job at Alchemis, a new business agency for the marketing, communications and creative industries. I started on the phone, arranging creds meetings for design, PR and ad agencies. I progressed to heading up new business before becoming a director. I left to try my luck on the agency side. I got sacked twice in a row. New business pays well but it's a cut-throat job in a target-driven world. I think I was too nice. I got lucky. Friends from one of the two agencies had launched their own company, the Republic. They gave me my first job in account management and I knew I was finally on the right track. This led to the first job I truly loved, as a Project Manager at the branding and design consultancy, The Partners. I was 38-years-old. I was promoted to Client Director, stayed 8 years, had fun, worked hard but burned out and left to go travelling and sort my head out. The next stop will be my final stop. For the last 14 years I've been at Quietroom, an insight-led communications consultancy. We're an employee-owned business with a clear purpose: We’re here to make pensions, investment and insurance accessible to the people who need them. Looking back on my 30+ years working in the creative industry, it's been an interesting journey, and certainly not a smooth one. But I ended up in exactly the right place, at right time, with the right people. Outside of Quietroom, I'm on the board of 26, a not-for-profit member organisation for people who write and love words. And I'm an accidental abstract artist, all my not-so-bad work looks different on paper than it did in my head. I make a mess but always clear up afterwards. At 60 I'm happy.