James Groves - Managing Director

What do you do at Indigo Swan?

As Managing Director of Indigo Swan I am responsible for the strategic direction of the business alongside Emily. I run the business on a day to day basis, making sure that all of the Swans feel valued, developed and are have the opportunity to be the very best version of themselves. Working alongside a world class management team, my aim is to promote learning, continue the growth of the company and the swans, and to maintain the fantastic ‘happiness first’ culture we have embedded over the last 9 years.

What are you most proud of?

I am proud that at the age of 35, I have over 13 years experience in leading and managing teams. The skills and knowledge I have developed within these roles has made me the person I am today. The skills I use to lead my teams are transferable in to my personal life and I believe these attributes have made me a loyal friend, a good son and a cracking husband to my wife ;0)

Tell us an interesting fact?

I once performed in a play called “My Cousin Rachel”. I played the lead character Phillip and appeared onstage for every page of the script apart from 2! The amount of effort that went in to learning the lines and the concentration that was needed during performance week was immense. It stands out as the best performance I gave during my short amateur dramatics career!

How did you get here?

Before joining Indigo Swan, I worked within the finance sector. I managed teams that negotiated and sold Loans and Insurance. I worked at my previous company for 8 years and it was an important time in my life as it helped me to develop as a leader and a manager, as well as a human being!

In 2010 an opportunity came my way to join the flock at Indigo Swan and I jumped at the chance. I wanted to get back to working for a smaller company and I wanted to be part of the Indigo Swan journey from the beginning. I am really proud of everything Indigo Swan has achieved so far and I am excited about what the future holds.

Take a look at my TEDx Talk on ‘how your mistakes can help positively impact your company culture’

What made you choose your header image?

I am a massive Arsenal fan and have been since I was 11 years old. Whilst recently we haven’t done as well as I would like, they have still brought me many years of joy as a fan and I continue to go into each weekend feeling optimistic!!