Say hello to our directors!

Our directors provide the vision, leadership and strategic direction for TTS.  If you’d like to know more about them – from career histories to more personal insights, please take a look at the profiles below. 


Andrea Harrison

I was lucky enough to join RM in 2009 and my first challenge was to manage the successful delivery of a large retailer's CSR scheme. Prior to my role at RM I worked in software implementation, delivery and deploying some really large rollouts of IT into Hospitality for companies such as J D Weatherspoon's, Mitchells & Butlers and Greene King. 

My projects and progammes at RM since then have been hugely varied in shape, size and ambition. Working with a great team of dedicated, talented and driven professionals, we have replaced almost the entire stack of business systems - ERP, finance, warehouse management and web platform to name a few. Continual improvement is absolutely at the heart of what I do and is a core element of the culture at TTS. I love transformation and change. My role means I am responsible for IT systems and transformation, which is very wide, reaching from large structural change initiatives to software implementation, business intelligence and compliance. RM is full of great people who in turn make a massive difference to children's lives through education. It is very heart-warming and I truly love how we all contribute and collectively create a great business. 

When I am not working I enjoy time with my two sons. I love the outdoors, running, walking and playing rugby (occasionally). I help with a national adoption charity recruiting adopters and sharing experiences. I suspect, that like most people, leisure time involves entertaining and socialising with music, good food and a cheeky drink or two playing an active part. 


Joanne Finnan

I have worked in the educational resources sector for over 25 years where I have always had a huge passion for product! Joining RM Resources in 2009, I was instantly drawn to the huge desire the teams had to innovate resources with a moto that everyone stood by: To give every child a reason to love learning!  That passion and desire is still at the heart of everything we do today and is just as strong now as it was back then!

My role as Product Director is the best job in the world, working together with an extremely talented team we get to develop and select a whole range of resources that enable teachers to teach and learners to learn!  From glue-sticks to Bee-Bots and everything in between we truly do travel the world to find, select and develop the very best products that enable educators worldwide to deliver their learning outcomes and run their establishments.

The best part of working for RM is we really do get to see our products come to life from concept to launch and then we are lucky enough to see the delight and enjoyment our resources bring to children.

As a member of the BESA Executive Council I am able to gain valuable insight on government policy and any curriculum changes that really does allow us to develop the right resources at the right time for our customers.

Outside of work, I enjoy spend time with family and friends in my home town of Bolton.  Most of this time is usually watching my boys play football with my husband John and our new puppy, Reggie the Beagle!


Richard Siddle

I’m a chartered accountant with 25 years of strategic financial management in commercial finance in both the retail sector and retail banking, where I’ve held various senior roles. I joined RM plc in January 2020 as the Finance Director for RM Resources.

My role is to work with the Board to set the strategic direction for the business and build an operating plan to deliver the strategy. Fundamentally, my job is to ensure we have financial control over the business, understand how the business is performing, evaluate opportunities to improve the business and identify and assess risks which could impact the business.

RM is at a really interesting point in its life with a lot of change currently underway to deliver the benefits of integrating the TTS and Consortium brands; consolidating its warehouses in to one automated warehouse, implementing and simplifying its entire systems architecture and developing a strategy to deliver growth in the coming years. The colleagues in the business really care about delivering for our customers and are proud of the business they work for – It was the scale of the challenge combined with the attitude of the colleagues which attracted me to the business, along with the changing education market which is evaluating how it adapts to an increasingly digital world.

 

In my spare time, I’m like most dads. I’m an Uber driver for my kids, figuring out how to get them to their various sporting activities and party commitments, whilst trying to find some time for my wife and myself - As my kids get older I’ve had to constantly adapt how to fit in exercise around family and work, which doesn’t always happen, but it’s something I try and do to help me manage the demands of work, home and life.