CEO Richard Rankin on his move to Cumbria

“Fun” is very much part of his vocabulary as he talks through his philosophy on both work and leisure time.

Scratch the surface of this successful businessman and you uncover someone aware of his mental health and that of his staff.

Nattily dressed in jeans and trainers this Geordie lad – previously a partner with Armstrong Watson - has a style and appearance that belies his 48 years thanks to the fitness regime he shares with wife Victoria - the couple married in December just before the country went into the third lockdown.

They spend much of their leisure time exercising. Running is a favourite as is open water swimming. For Victoria’s birthday they ran the Ullswater Way topping it off with a jump in the lake.

A rural virgin when he came to Cumbria almost 20 years ago, he was appointed chief executive of the H&H Group in 2018 – an agri-business with its feet firmly in the world of livestock and land management.

“I had to Google cows before I came to H&H ,” he laughs. “I hadn’t much of a clue about agriculture and rural life.”

However, with a nod to his work in the countryside, Richard does have a pair of wellies in the cupboard. He says: “When I first arrived with little or no knowledge about agriculture, I was given a tour of farms by Land Rover. It was certainly a learning curve. Before that my only experience was on a friend’s farm in Yorkshire during university holidays.”

Richard, a chartered accountant and corporate financier by profession, passionately believes exercise and a healthy dose of fun are the key to good mental wellbeing. An attitude which he is encouraging his staff to adopt.

As we chatted in the board room at H&H’s head office in Rosehill, Carlisle, the word “fun” cropped up with regularity as did the importance of mental wellness and the need for a sense of lightness in the workplace.

He says: “It is crucial to have fun to maintain a balance of mind and body.”

Richard came to Carlisle from Leeds after being headhunted by Armstrong Watson. The rural life of Cumbria was a sharp contrast to city living but an ideal environment to indulge his love of the outdoors.

His passion for exercise goes back to his university days when he studied at his gran’s near South Shields just a few miles from the family home at Low Fell in Gateshead. After working hard, he would take himself off for a run along the coast.

“I spent weekends studying for exams at her home and it was there I developed my love of running. In between studying I would jog along the cliffs at Marsden. I learned that if you exercise you recharge your mental batteries,” he says.

It was his gran’s influence which led to his choice of career. His late grandfather had studied for his articles and granny Jean played a large part in his decision to study accountancy and financial analysis at Newcastle University.

“I was close to my gran and I was happy to follow in my grandpa’s footsteps. She was a huge influence on me,” he says.

“No one in the family had been to university before and although we couldn't afford it, I was able to go because I lived at home. My one regret is that I didn’t do pure maths because of my genuine love and interest in the subject.”

Forward almost 30 years and Richard is in an industry steeped in rural life – a far cry from the heady days when he worked and partied hard with some of the top names in the big city world of finance.

He recalls: “In those days when I worked at Deloitte capitalism was rife. They were heady days and long hours and we knew how to party. We worked hard and played hard. I was working in Leeds and to be honest Friday afternoons were wiped out.

Today, three years after joining H&H, he is heading up a group with companies operating across the world of agriculture, auctioneering, insurance and property.

He may be seen as a different type of leader; on the first day at work, he stunned staff by offering to make them a brew.

“Mine is not a macho style of management,” he explains. “I am a firm believer in transformational leadership. There are 10 people in my executive team and I want them all to be the best they can be. If they turn out better than me then I have done my job. I want to move people up to be the best they can be – a team that shines.”

Every Friday morning Richard gathers his executive team to find out how everyone is feeling – not just about the job in hand but how they are on a personal level.

“It is a chance to share what is on people’s minds. To be empathetic and open. I don’t want a heads down culture,” he says.

“I want to make a difference while having fun. I love a challenge – it gets the best out of me. I extend this to my team. I want to get the best out of everyone, so they stay on course. It is all about building the best team possible. My mission is to add value and help protect the economies we serve.”

Richard was appointed by H&H chairman Michael Scott in 2018 to replace former chief executive Brian Richardson, who stood down after 10 years at the helm of the group to become head of agriculture at the Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank.

H&H Group is probably best known across the north of England and Scottish Borders for its nationally recognised livestock auctioneering business, Harrison & Hetherington, along with H&H Land and Property, its rural land agency business.

Already Richard has been in talks with Minette Batters, President of the National Farmers’ Union for the past three years.

“I would like to think there is a crossover between us and the NFU whereby we can work together to provide a rural voice,” says Richard.

His life here in Cumbria is a world away from his days of partying while working in London, Newcastle and Leeds for the likes of Deloittes.

He started his career in Newcastle with Touche Ross - later to become Deloitte - as an audit junior qualifying as a chartered accountant before transferring to corporate finance in 1998. He worked for Deloitte on several transactions from small management buyouts to multi-national corporate acquisitions. advising businesses including Nissan.

“I moved into corporate finance because I didn’t like auditing and auditing didn’t like me. I decided with my boss that it just wasn't working out so that’s when I moved into corporate finance. Within less than a week I realised that's what I wanted to do - I loved it,” he says.

“My work took me on secondment to London doing financial analysis – the job was brilliant, but I didn’t want to live in the City. I just wasn’t a London Boy.

“I loved the experience while I was there. We had a whale of a time on our expense accounts. It was all about living the high life.”

Richard was headhunted by Armstrong Watson in 2002. He worked with boards of directors and business owners from helping them develop strategies through to making life changing decisions.

In his role as Corporate Finance Partner, he took over the Kendal office for Armstrong Watson returning in 2014 to Carlisle to run the Carlisle Corporate office in addition to the wider Corporate Finance team.

In 2018 his life took another direction when he was made chief executive with the H&H Group; his first time in a CEO role.

“I am enjoying the many challenges the job presents. It is a fantastic job in a wonderful part of the world,” he says. “I use my skills accumulated over the years and I will always admit when I get it wrong.”

Before returning to Cumbria Richard worked – still for Deloitte - in Newcastle before moving to the Leeds office where he rented a flat in Harrogate.

“It was just a train’s journey from home to work. Again, they were heady days, we worked hard and played hard, but it was a very macho environment and I’m not your typical alpha male,” he says.

“I found myself not spending much time at all at home. They were long, long days. If you got up from your desk before 8pm you were frowned upon. At this time, I was assistant director at Deloittes in Leeds. The next step would have been London, but I didn't want to go.

“I was headhunted by Armstrong Watson... I loved the lakes and walking so went for it.

“I went from being a cog in a large wheel to being the wheel. I loved the increase in responsibility. The Deloitte training is second to none and stood me in good stead for the future. I had 16 years at Armstrong Watson.

“I loved Armstrong Watson because I felt I could make a more of a difference there rather than with a big firm. I had the space to go out to do the job. I was allowed to make my own mistakes running deals on my own. I learnt from failure.

“I love negotiating I am a people person and love to find out what makes them tick. I love corporate finance and am secure doing my stuff. I am a genuine honest person – what you see is what you get.”

His next move was H&H. With his lack of chief executive experience, Richard credits H&H for their faith in appointing him to the role, saying: “I didn’t have any chief executive experience and it was a brave move by the board and its chairman Michael Scott, but I knew it would be a job which would interest me. It was something I could do.

“From growing up in urban Gateshead to working in Newcastle, Leeds and London I found myself in rural Cumbria. I accepted the job and have never looked back.

Richard is aware of the challenge the job poses and one which he relishes. He says: “H&H is a strong agri-business, which has diversified and expanded its commercial interests and enterprises.

“Our livestock business, Harrison and Hetherington, is the UK’s foremost livestock trading organisation, and is an integral part of the Group. As a company, it has a great depth of knowledge within the industry, a very strong base of customers, and is highly respected.

“I thrive on a challenge, and for me this is one of my greatest to date, and one which I am very excited about.”

In his leisure time he enjoys running, watching movies and listening to good music.

Keeping fit is his mantra – a love he shares with Victoria who is a senior tax consultant with David Allen in Dalston.

She is currently setting up her own physical training business, Vix PT, close to their home in the town which they share with cats Belle and Coco named after Disney characters.

Richard’s children, Jacob,16, Noah,13, and 11-year-old Alice, live with their mum in a village just a few miles from their dad’s home. He has a very close relationship with his children which is helped by the fact they live near each other.

They get together a lot and enjoy their time having fun – there’s that word again.

He says: “We have a good relationship with the children and love spending quality time with them.”

Victoria and Richard met at work when they were both at Armstrong Watson and discovered a mutual love of running. Both are members of the Eden Valley Tri Club based at Penrith Leisure Centre.

They married at Askham Hall near Penrith on December 29 last year with a limited guest list of 15 because of the coronavirus restrictions on gatherings.

“It was fantastic day and despite the restrictions everyone was in good spirits and we had a fun time in our own bubble,” says Richard, who sketched the wedding invitations himself.

“Askham Hall is a special place for us, and we can't wait to go back and visit once the restrictions are lifted. Our wedding day was fun and a great way to end to the year and look forward to new beginnings.

“Last year was very difficult but things are looking up as more people get vaccinations. Better times are coming. Like everyone else we have missed a lot over the past year but as the restrictions are lifted, we are looking forward to getting together with friends and family to socialise and have fun.”

PANEL:

As chairman of the H&H Group, semi-retired farmer Michael Scott was responsible for making Richard’s appointment in 2018. He was also new to the job having just taken over the chair from Ian Lancaster, who stepped down due to work commitments.

Richard made an instant impression on Michael who had been a board member for 13 years.

“As soon as I met him before the interview, I knew within two or three minutes he was our man,” Michael recalls.

“I went skipping back to the interview panel. Richard and I connected, and I knew he was someone I could work with. He is a quick learner and I could see in him someone who could bring the Group up to date.

“I knew he was the ideal person to take over the position of chief executive. He knows the business and the areas in which we operate. As a Board, we have challenged Richard with building upon and further strengthening all areas of the business.”

Michael, who has a family farm near Northallerton, adds: “He is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and since his appointment has steered us through the Beast from the East, drought and Covid.”

The H&H Group began as farm-stock auctioneers and now runs a number of Harrison and Hetherington Auction Marts across northern England and southern Scotland. The Group also runs property and insurance departments.