This special Behind the Screens marks a year since Orbits IT became an Employee Ownership Trust, and the reflections here come straight from our Independent Trustee, Chris. In his own words, he shares how he sees his role, his long-standing connection to Orbits, and what an EOT really means in practice. It’s an open, thoughtful take on where we are after year one, why this is still a learning curve, and the opportunity employee ownership gives to shape Orbits’ future.

“The Board of Trustees is usually made up of a mixture of employee representatives, founder/director representatives and an independent appointee.

I was appointed as an Independent Trustee and see my key responsibilities as a). maintaining a balanced and objective oversight of the organisation b). ensuring good stewardship and c). helping to make sure that the more boring, but essential, legal and regulatory requirements that underpin the Trust are met and that appropriate procedures are introduced to ensure this continues to be the case.”

“I retired from a small Housing Association in 2020 and haven’t had any formal relationship with Orbits IT since that time. However, I was fortunate enough to be around at the inception of Orbits and like to think I played a small part in the growth of the company by being one of the first businesses to entrust Orbits to deliver its IT Support. Watching Orbits IT grow and become firmly established as a trusted and respected provider of IT services throughout South Wales and beyond, has therefore been particularly rewarding; (and was obviously one of the rare decisions I actually got right).”

“That’s a good question and you’ll most likely get five different answers from five different people. To give an honest answer, and from a personal perspective, I’m still finding out!

Without therefore hanging my hat on the various technical definitions you’ll find online, I see an EOT as a rare and generous opportunity for employees (who genuinely care about the future of the organisation), to shape its culture, ethos and future business direction.

Every EOT will be unique, (because it will still be made up of a collection of individuals with differing opinions and aspirations) however, I’m sure the most successful EOTs will be those where the vast majority of individuals are working together and pulling in the same direction. It is therefore one of the key roles of the Board of Trustees to facilitate and support a collaborative approach between the staff and the founders/directors, by encouraging good communication and cultivating shared objectives.”

“Despite coming up to the first anniversary, I believe it’s still early days and it will take a while for the true benefits to be fully recognised by all involved. It would be unrealistic to expect significant change overnight and, in many ways, radical and accelerated change could be counterproductive… “if it ain t broke – don’t fix it”! Orbits IT has obviously been doing many things right as is evidenced by its growth in size and reputation.

It is therefore important for us as Trustees to understand the boundaries of the relationship and to recognise that the founders/ directors retain full operational control and will continue to manage the operational and day-to-day workings of the business. As a Board however it is our responsibility to scrutinise key strategic decisions and to ensure the founders/directors remain accountable and that any such decisions continue to be made in the best interest of the organisation as a whole.

In short, whilst it may take a while for many tangible benefits to materialise, (bonuses aside), the most important benefit to recognise is the opportunity that’s been provided for all concerned.”

“I think I’ve waffled on enough and if anyone’s made it this far – I’m impressed. All I would emphasise is that this transition continues to be a ‘work in progress’ and we are all still learning. I appreciate that the transition to an EOT will mean different things to different people; by some it might be seen as confusing, exciting, worrying or an opportunity whilst to others it might just be about the prospect of receiving a bonus payment. All, of those views are perfectly understandable and therefore, as indicated above, we must continue to demystify what being an EOT is all about and to make sure that anyone who wants to help shape the future of Orbits EOT, has the means to do so.”

“I’m not one for sentimentality but there is a wonderful symmetry to Chris being our first Chair of Trustees as back in 2010 when Orbits was just starting out and Chris was the head of Aelwyd Housing Association, Chris and Aelwyd became our first client a client that remains with Orbits to this day, even though Chris has long since moved on. Undertaking the EOT process was a great unknown for all involved but the diligence, honesty and leadership of Chris has given us a brilliant foundation to build on and we can’t thank him enough for all his support.”

“Having worked with Chris prior to Orbits IT’s transition to an Employee Ownership Trust, I was genuinely pleased when he agreed to take on the role of Chair of Trustees. Having known Chris for over a decade and having seen his leadership at Aelwyd, I had every confidence he would be a valuable asset in guiding us through the move to an employee-owned business. Over the past 12+ months, Chris has provided significant support as we have established and continue to establish our footing in this new structure.

As we approach our one-year anniversary as an Employee Ownership Trust, I’d like to thank Chris for his support to date. I look forward to continuing to work with him over the coming years as we continue to build a business that the whole team can be proud to be part of.”

“Having Chris as part of the Board of Trustees has been invaluable to me as an employee representative. Coming into the role, I was conscious of being new to governance and the responsibilities that come with it, but Chris’s experience and calm, measured approach has given me a lot of confidence. He’s always approachable and willing to talk things through, which has made a real difference in helping me find my feet and understand what it means to be an effective trustee.”