Matthew Hoddinott has been a familiar face of Zoontjens in the UK for years. He is one of our external consultants. In this blogpost Matthew introduces himself and tells about the challenges of his job.
“My name is Matthew Hoddinot, I’m 52 years and I live in Milton Keynes. A city which is only 50 years old and is the fastest growing town in the UK. Other than spending time with my family, my hobbies include anything to do with nature, walking and running. I try to catch the sunrise wherever possible as it helps to prepare me for the day ahead.
I have worked for Zoontjens for over 15 years, as a Country Manager and a consultant. As an engineer, my experience has been in developing new markets, and encouraging people to think about the legacy which we build today. I am particularly interested in how we build and develop healthy communities for tomorow, and believe that roofspace will play a significant part in these developments. At one time or another, I have done most things for Zoontjens, except make the slabs! But I spend my time looking after the business interests of Zoontjens in the UK, talking about roofscaping and trying to develop the UK business for Zoontjens.
The challenge for me is always how long it takes to achieve anything. We may be talking about projects for years, before we even sell a slab. But because we are encouraging people to adopt a complete solution which will improve lives, or change legacies, I recognise these things take time. I love presenting our ideas, successes and insights to people, and really enjoy the fact that pretty much everything is achievable and beneficial.
I promote the use of the roofspace through recognising that its development will benefit our society in so many ways. I am particularly interested in how our buildings, when designed correctly and with care, provide us with environments which enable us to thrive, connect with nature, reduce stress, improve mental health, productivity and life fulfilment. As a mental health first aider, I understand many of the stresses we face daily, and the need to ensure that our working and living environment provide spaces to reduce these stresses. Through my work with Zoontjens, Fitwel and knowledge of Well Building Standards, I know that what we do as an organisation helps people lead inclusive, sustainable and fulfilled lives.”