Our People

At the heart of SMS are the people who help us provide a world class service. We believe that the future of SMS is down to the people behind the scenes making sure deadlines and business objectives are met.

Meet Our Management Team

James DinnageArea Engineer Manager (South)

I first joined SMS in 2002, and have been with the company for over 18 years. My main responsibilities are overseeing the water PPM teams (South) with help from the supervisors and also working closely with the Account Managers, HR and Directors.
I'm a plumber by trade, and carry out various PPM tasks for the company. I also help run a large contract in Reading and help ensure all the engineers based from the Harwell office are trained to the high standards that the company demands.

When off duty

James "enjoys" supporting Everton if he's not out with the family
Caroline StrudleyBid Manager

I joined SMS in 2016 to supplement the executive team in winning new business. My responsibilities include sourcing sales opportunities and submitting tenders as well as developing the Tender library, applying any feedback received to support the continuous improvement of bids.
I have strong bid management experience, with the ability to write fluid business proposals and tenders. I am a good communicator and able to develop relationships at a number of levels in order to achieve both the project and Company’s goals.

When off duty

Caroline loves water, especially when it’s frozen and surrounded by gin
Jordan AllsopRegional Manager - Midlands and North

I joined SMS Environmental in 2013 as an engineer, responsible for carrying out onsite maintenance. We then opened our Midlands office, which required a coordinator to schedule and book engineers' works, along with carrying out general office duties so I decided to have a change of scenery. Then, offering more of a challenge and progress and after some additional training, I took on the role of Regional Manager/Account Manager for the region.

When off duty

Jordan likes to wander the hills with her pooches
John MeeRisk Assessment & Regional Manager

SMS employed me in 2013 to carry out Legionella Risk Assessments that were part of national contracts, in the Midlands/North of England and Scotland. The workload in the region grew quickly and soon SMS Midlands was born, which I now manage. I also manage the Legionella Risk Assessment Department following SMS's UKAS accreditation.
I am trained and experienced in LRA of cooling towers and swimming/spa pools. SMS carry UKAS accreditation to ISO:17020 for these which I manage and maintain.

When off duty

John prefers to be on two wheels
Gavin HarrisManaging Director

I joined in 2003 as an engineer, and got my hands dirty again, having moved from a sales role. Once I'd got my old skills back I was out of the van and back in the shiny shoes. I progressed to sales manager, I then progressed to Sales Director where I had the opportunity to further my education with a DBA at Henley Management College. I had the opportunity to become a shareholder which in light of the fact sales were flying in I took. I'm now MD and I'm proud of unique company culture we maintain despite the increasing growth year on year.

When off duty

Gavin enjoys coaching his local juniors football team
Toby MaddoxArea Manager

I joined the company in 2007 as a trainee engineer and within that time I have carried out various job roles within the company including, engineer, senior engineer, risk assessor, account manager and now area manager. Now my main responsibilities are to look after various key accounts within the company and manage a team of account managers.
I have managed compliance within the healthcare, local authorities, councils, housing associations, schools and universities sectors.

When off duty

Toby enjoys a bit of footie or swinging his clubs
Mike CrookAccounts Director

I joined in 2011, following a Masters degree, sponsored by SMS, in Water and Wastewater Engineering. My role has always focussed on Account Management. I have been involved in a number of high profile projects for our clients to deliver safe and sustainable solutions to Legionella control and water hygiene issues, as well as providing comprehensive training courses in Legionella Control and Water Hygiene Management. I joined the Board in 2016 and since then my role has included the management of operations across all our offices in the UK.

When off duty

Mike likes spreading the word on Country Music, which is slowly but surely taking over our offices across the Country!
Paul CarriganBusiness Development Executive

I joined the company in September 2018. My objectives were to establish and grow SMS operations across Scotland. I'm please to say that in a short space of time the engineering team continues to increase along with out capacity to fulfil works and with the increase in long terms contracts the length and breadth of Scotland. We've won contracts in every sector but in particular within FM and local authorities who demand the attention to service delivery we can provide.

When off duty

Paul plays drums in a band, swims to keep fit and watches football.
Jatinder ChanaService Delivery Manager

Over a decade of experience in offering the best service delivery to a variety of corporate environments. At SMS Environmental I head up the office service delivery coordination for both PPM and remedial works.

When off duty

Jatinder enjoys time with his dog and supporting Indian cricket.
Thomas CarneRegional Manager Wales and South West

I am the current Regional Manager for Wales and the South West. What attracted me to SMS Environmental is the sheer quality which the company displays and its thorough processes. I have over 15 years of experience within the industry and during this period. I have gained various Industry qualifications to support me in my role. As a qualified plumber, I started my legionella journey on the tools, however, soon progressed to cover the various disciplines we undertake including water hygiene monitoring and risk assessing and finally moving into management.

When off duty

I enjoy family time, traveling, cinematography and photography.

Our Success Is Thanks To Our People

If you’ve experienced services delivered by other providers before SMS Environmental, you’ll instantly recognise a difference to our approach. Our staff are committed to maintaining long term partnerships and go the extra mile to deal with any request. And, for the peace of mind you deserve, we offer transparent ways to track the progress and quality of any service we provide.

In the beginning....

John Sandford CMIOSH and Nick Hearn founded the company in 2001 with the simple vision of establishing a company that delivered on a first class service through the quality of product and the professionalism of their employees.

John has since become a chartered occupational health and safety consultant, headed up the SMS Risk Assessment team and led SMS to become the 1st full service provider to gain UKAS Accreditation to ISO17020 (UKAS Accreditation Number - 8563) for Legionella Risk Assessment. He has undertaken the UKAS Assessors and Lead Assessors course to enable external auditing of any health and safety management system.

Nick continues to play a leading role in the development of the SMS engineering team and has become a passionate advocate of improved training in the industry, committing SMS to the Watersafe scheme and developing educational partnerships to deliver practical training facilities to staff and the wider public.

Investing in our future

At the heart of SMS is the people who help us provide world class services. We understand as a business that the future of SMS is the people behind the scenes making sure deadlines and business objectives are met. Our engineers work tirelessly every day and make sure our customers are happy and satisfied with the services that we offer. This is why we heavily invest in the people who make the organisation successful because they are the future of our company.

An organisation's culture will influence human behaviour and human performance at work. Poor safety culture has contributed to many major incidents and personal injuries.

Health & Safety Executive - http://www.hse.gov.uk/humanfactors/topics/culture.htm

Combining smart people with smart technology, SMS offers an intelligent, transparent and competent service. We strive to see things from our customers' point of view and put ourselves in their shoes.

If you think you might like to join us at SMS please visit our careers page for the latest vacancies and details on how to apply.

SMS Careers

Q4 Core Value Champions

November 2022

Clarity Champion: Greg Stocker Legionella RA Supervisor

About Clarity Champion: Greg

Greg has worked at SMS for 6 ½ years, he was in a similar role before working here, however, it never allowed him to pursue a career entirely in risk assessment. He commented on his journey saying “ was able to learn and develop under the wings of John Sandford, John Mee and Mike Crook. I appreciate their guidance in helping me gain a deeper understanding of Legionella and risk assessments turning me into the most capable risk assessor/ supervisor that I can be.”

This Person is Featured Because...

Greg has been awarded clarity due to his clear and calm approach during a meeting with a client. As a result of Greg's ability to make the overall meeting constructive and informative, his colleagues chose him for this award. Congratulations Greg.

What do you think it means to win the clarity value?

“In all different work experiences, everyone in each job role appreciates clarity. Giving clarity is always good and helps people to gain a complete understanding of a situation. Whether giving good feedback or constructive improvement, allowing people to gain a full grasp of the situation is always appreciated.”

November 2022

Leadership winner: Bobbie Tompkins-Hawes Account Manager Assistant

About Leadership winner: Bobbie

Bobbie has worked at SMS for 3 years. Her role has changed while working initially in admin to operation, and she is now in account management. This was her first permanent role out of sixth form, she spoke on this experience saying “When I became a permanent employee here at SMS Environmental, I was given a lot more responsibility within an industry that was new to me.”

This Person is Featured Because...

Bobbie was awarded the leadership value because of her can-do attitude. Always being someone to rely on and brings a positive attitude wherever she is. Recently stepping up she has stepped up and is thriving in her newly assigned position, Congratulations Bobbie.

Bobbie was so grateful to receive the reward she recalled this moment.

What was your reaction to winning the award?

“When it was announced, I was watching the webinar in the break room with everyone else. When I heard the director’s kind words and validation, I was surprised and grateful.”

November 2022

Expertise Winner: Anisha Gurung Accounts Assistant

About Expertise Winner: Anisha

Anisha started working for us 1 year ago. She previously worked in a similar role for a massive corporate company. Anisha spoke about her change in environment by stating “ the move to SMS was a nice change. The opportunity to understand the different parts of accounting and see the process has allowed me to gain a better understanding and knowledge.”

This Person is Featured Because...

Anisha hasn't been with us for long, but she is making strides in the financial department. Anisha always goes above and beyond for her colleagues and clients. She isn't afraid to innovate and help develop SMS as we grow by introducing a revised credit control procedure that we are moving on to soon - Congratulations Anisha.

Anisha puts in extra work in and out of the office, she had this to say when dealing with challenging situations.

Can you recall an experience that was challenging for you? How did you overcome it?

“I constantly have to be on the go with evening and weekend classes, helping my sister with her business as she is out of the country, and the gym every day. I’ve found an organisational app to help keep me on track with tasks.”

November 2022

Accountability Champion: Sophie Evans Operations Co-ordinator

About Accountability Champion: Sophie

Sophie Bio: Sophie has worked at SMS for one year now. She mentioned how “ I have loved coming to a space that is so inviting and has lovely colleagues.” Before working here Sophie had a job in an elderly home as a receptionist, so moving to SMS was an enjoyable faster-paced environment.

This Person is Featured Because...

Sophie has been awarded the Accountability award for her hard work in the operation team. She was highly recommended by engineers for her dedication and commitment to her role. Sophie is willing to put in the extra hours when needed to ensure the work is finished- Congratulations Sophie.

It's great to hear how on-site engineers and office employees can communicate. Here’s a highlight from sophies interview.

According to you, what do you think you were nominated for?

“I have a thorough understanding of engineers' needs and have formed connections with the engineers while keeping them company and having chats with them on-site. Within operations, you need to be in constant communication with engineers to ensure that they have everything to perform their work to the highest standards.”

November 2022

Reassurance Champion: Matt Hearn Plumbing Apprentice

About Reassurance Champion: Matt

Matt has worked at SMS for 2 ½ years. Before working at SMS he was an insurance broker. He spoke about the change in carrer path saying “ My days are not as structured as they used to be, however, it's great to be out always seeing new places and experiencing different systems”.

This Person is Featured Because...

Matt was recommended for being a constant source of support for colleagues and clients alike. Has a very positive attitude and always puts in the extra mile for SMS. Matt is always supporting and assisting his teammates to achieve the best results for clients. Congratulations Matt.

It's great to hear how people come together and support each other through SMS. Matt had this to say about his colleagues.

Is there anything you would like to tell the colleagues who nominated you?

“I do not know who nominated me, but I would like to thank them as this was unexpected for me. I always love it when people reach out for support; I see it as returning the favour for everything my team does for me when I need assistance.”