By ELLEN READ
Sarah Trotman, the chief executive of Business in the Community, left school after passing School Certificate and went to work as a credit reporter and office junior for College Credit Management, a credit management and debt collection company, now part of RMG.
Sarah Trotman worked in a variety
of roles at the company for nearly 10 years before being "thrown into" the job of general manager at very short notice, she says.
The job, with its responsibility for the entire business and the more than 20 staff, was a real challenge for a 25-year-old.
"I had been with the business for a number of years, so I knew the business well. On my first day I sat down and made a list of the priorities as I saw them and met the staff."
Her first boss helped a lot, she says, as he was encouraging and very supportive.
"The thing I admired the most about him was that he never gave up. Running a business is a very demanding role and he seemed to just keep going and going, even on the tough days. He was a great role model and he gave me numerous opportunities."
Despite this, at the age of 31, and only having worked for the one organisation, she felt it was time for a change.
It was agreed that the business be sold.
Sarah Trotman says 25 was a young age to have taken up the reins of a business in such a tough industry, although as president of the Associated Credit Bureau - the industry association - she had a good overview of the industry as a whole.
