From Then to Now: Gwynne Lewis

My journey with Driver Require started in August of 2004.

Before this I was a Store Manager for Homebase.

I joined Sainsburys as a Trainee Manager back in 1979, and worked my way up when Sainsburys created Homebase, from a Department Manager, mainly around the North London stores, to eventually taking on my own store in Cardiff.

I loved the retail environment, customer service was natural to me, but around the turn of the century I became disillusioned with Homebase. Having gone through a change of ownership and moving away from its core DIY business to selling furniture, it lost its appeal, for me.

So, in 2004 I went on a search for a new career.

With recruitment of people seeming to be the best use of my skills, Manpower in Stevenage found me Driver Require.

Steve Prince taught me the basics of recruitment, compliance and accuracy of administration, I gradually started to use my customer service capabilities in engaging with and growing a decent portfolio of clients.

Together we became the biggest and best driving agency in the area, with Nathan Humphreys and Ian Datlen joining in 2005 and 2006, we were unstoppable.

I enjoy this business because I work with people I like and respect, I can choose who joins us and who doesn’t.

My main concern is that we are sometimes too honest, too picky, too demanding, so we have let other businesses take advantage by shortcutting and undercutting and overpromising.

I am proud of our heritage, our values and our position and can stand up in front of anyone and state that we do it right.

Gwynne Lewis
CEO