Student becomes MD for a day

Basingstoke-based distributor TDC had a new temporary boss earlier this week, with the winner of a schools' competition taking over from Managing Director Jerry Sandys for a day.

Basingstoke-based distributor TDC had a new boss earlier this week, with the winner of a schools' competition taking over from Managing Director Jerry Sandys for a day.

During a visit on the 29th April by the A Level Business Studies group from Bearwood College in Wokingham, students were given eight presentations of key areas in the business - accounts, management, sales, marketing, new business development, logistics, IT and technical.

Richard Millerin, a student who has just completed his A Levels at Bearwood College in Wokingham and will be starting his BA (Hons) Business Management degree at University College in Worcester in September, won the title of "MD for a day" by answering correctly the most out of 40 questions about TDC.

Millerin spent the morning with Sandys, enabling him to experience at first hand the workings of the business and an opportunity to ask some in-depth questions.

He visited local printer Turnergraphic to award a new printing contract to print TDC's 2004 catalogue and met with TDC's bank manager, Kevin Jelley from Natwest Bank in Basingstoke, for a working lunch.

The afternoon consisted of further meetings including one with the marketing team and a visit to local radio station Kestrel FM for a studio interview.

TDC is dedicated to giving something back to the community in its bid to educate students of the opportunities available in the electronic component distribution industry.

Last year it launched its first young innovator of the year competition to "Make machines talk", this year, students have until 30th September to think of ways of "Making machines see".

TDC has been kindly sponsored with prizes from OmniVision which has donated a Polaroid digital camera, a mobile phone from Siemens and two bank accounts with GBP 50 credit from Natwest Bank.

The winning school will also receive GBP 200 of book vouchers.

Schools in Hampshire and Berkshire have been invited to take part, and more information can be seen on the TDC website.

Full-time MD Sandys comments: "As part of TDC's ongoing commitment to showing local youngsters the opportunities available in the electronics industry we are delighted to welcome Richard back as our MD for the Day.

He has awarded a contract for the printing of our 2004 catalogue, enjoyed lunch with our bank manager, been interviewed by Kestrel FM, not to mention photocalls and a marketing meeting.

Richard will however be the lucky one going home at 5 tonight whereas I will be travelling the three and a half hours up to our Lincoln office in preparation for a meeting tomorrow".

Richard Millerin, TDC's Managing Director for a day comment: "As my main ambition in life is to become a Managing Director of a company, and I have an expressed interest in telecommunication and wireless technologies, I am delighted to have been able to take over from Jerry for the day.

I learnt a huge amount about the practical side of real business; rather than learning the much less exciting theory in a classroom".

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