Architype

Architype’s journey towards full employee ownership has taken a welcome step forward with the appointment of a new external trustee and new staff trustee in our Edinburgh studio. Architype became 30% employee owned in 2015 when founding director, Bob Hayes, stepped down.

The new appointments follow the retirement of Dick Philbrick who we would like to say a huge thank you to. Dick was our first external advisor, working with us for five years to share his wisdom, and helping get our ownership journey started. Dick has provided valuable insight into what it truly means to be an employee owned company and his input has helped shape where we are today.

We are excited to announce that Helen Moreton has become our new external trustee, and feel that she will be a vital part of our next chapter as we work out a roadmap for full employee ownership. Helen is the founder of coaching company Boombox Consulting, and brings vast experience from companies such as John Lewis, Riverford Organic Farmers and Lush. She also supports the Employee Ownership Association at their key events by presenting and facilitating workshops to help more organisations realise the benefits of employee ownership, which include making organisations more successful, competitive and sustainable. 

We are immensely proud to be working towards becoming a fully employee owned company, and are very much looking forward to exploring with Helen how we can further develop our journey. In Helen, we feel that we have found someone that aligns with what we stand for as an organisation, and who truly understands our core values.

Helen joins our newly appointed staff trustee, associate Ruth Queally, who is based in our Edinburgh team. The change in our governance structure means that we now have representatives from our three main locations, with London trustee, architectural designer Laura Rowland, and director trustee Mark Barry joining me in the Hereford team.

Ruth comments: “I am truly delighted to have been elected as the staff trustee representing the Edinburgh studio and wider Employee Benefit Trust’s interests. I joined Architype shortly before the trust was set up in 2015 and have always been enthused by and engaged in its objectives. Architype’s focus on environmental sustainability is matched by its social ethos, making sure all staff are valued and actively engaged in our core values and goals. As a newly appointed trustee, I am excited to be more extensively involved in trust activities and look forward to playing a key role in our journey to full employee ownership.”

Helen has also talked about what partnering with Architype means to her:

“Working with organisations that care for their people, communities, and planet deeply matters to me and I am truly inspired by Architype’s commitment to a socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable future. I have been active in the employee-owned sector for over twenty years in an operational and non-executive capacity. I spent 18 years at John Lewis Partnership in a variety of independent and strategic roles. It was there that I grew a genuine passion and respect for EO as I saw in action the difference that ownership can make to an individual and an organisation. I now work with several other EO businesses in a trustee, chairing, coaching, advisory, and training capacity

“Within employee ownership there are key principles that ensure a fairer, healthier, and more resilient way of doing business. These principles focus on how you invest in individuals through sharing knowledge and power which in turn builds an engaged and empowered workforce that are aligned to the organisational purpose. As Architype’s external trustee, I look forward to stimulating debate and informing decision making for the benefit of the trust and its beneficiaries.”

By Lisa Edwards, Practice Manager and Employee Trustee

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