Jan Ward, Founder of Corrotherm International: Get help with raising money

Tuesday, 05 March 2019

Jan is a mechanical Engineer with over 30 years in metals manufacturing and distribution.

She has worked at board level for specialty metals producers and distributors and has lived and worked in US, Europe and Middle East.  She is also the founder of Corrotherm International Ltd, a company specializing in high alloy metals for use in oil, gas petrochemical power and desalination industries.

Jan has grown the company exponentially -  from a one-woman company to now having offices in 6 countries. She is also an advisor and non-executive to a number of manufacturing companies and government departments and Director of the Saudi British Joint Business Council and UAE UK Business Council, Director of Energy Industries Council.

A previous winner of the NatWest everywoman award, Jan has gone on to win a host of other awards including IoD London and South East Global Director of the year and in 2014 was awarded a CBE for services to Business and Honorary Doctorate of Engineering.

“I have worked very hard to establish a profile as a woman working in a male dominated industry. Networking with your peers is an extremely effective way to improve your knowledge and develop a support network”.

Jan’s Top Tips

• If I could go back I would tell me to get help with raising money from a professional advisor with a network of investors rather than try to trawl the market yourself.
• I would do beauty parade of banks and negotiate harder on terms, banks want your business don’t give it to them without getting the best deal.
• Getting the right people is THE most difficult part of building a business. Pay as much as you can afford, and don’t be afraid to appoint people that are much better at doing some things that you are