Rebecca Lee and Jake Ellis are two shining examples of the career progression available within UM Group.

Both started in roles with the Group’s UM Terminals business but have subsequently advanced into broader roles within our organisation.

Rebecca’s Story

Rebecca joined UM Terminals as a Safety Advisor in April 2023 and, in less than a year, had been promoted to Environmental, Health & Safety Manager. As of this month, Rebecca has taken on the role of Group EHS Manager.

Rebecca says: “When I first joined, my focus was on safety across UM Terminals’ Liverpool, Hull and Portbury sites, but now I have a responsibility to visit and work with the UK terminals and the Group’s sites in Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium, Hungary and Trinidad.

“Every week is very different, but would typically include site visits, reviewing assessments and carrying out audits.

“Every country has its different legislation, but our objective is to ensure that all our terminals are benchmarked by a Group standard, irrespective of where they are in the world.

“My role is to work closely with Phil McEvoy – Group Terminals Director – and the terminal managers at each site with a single-minded focus to achieve this level of consistency.”

Before joining UM, Rebecca had worked as a health and safety manager for a galvanising company and, prior to that, as a trainer for a large restaurant group looking at food quality and safety.

Commenting on her latest role as UM Group EHS Manager, she says: “What I love most is working with different people at different sites, not just in the UK but across Europe and other parts of the world. There is never an end destination in safety as there is always something more that can be enhanced in the way that things are done.

“Throughout my UM journey, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a fantastic team, whose support and collaboration have made every challenge rewarding. The experiences and relationships I’ve built here are shaping my career, and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow within the company.”

Jake’s Story

Jake joined UM Terminals as Maintenance Manager in May 2023 and held that role until January this year when he was promoted to Group Asset Integrity Manager.

He, like Rebecca, reports to Phil McEvoy – Group Terminals Director – and is part of the team that is responsible for ensuring excellence across the business.

Jake says: “We have made really good progress across the UK terminals in the last couple of years in inspections and maintenance, enhancing systems and carrying out programmed project work.

“My new Group role is all about rolling out the same processes and practices worldwide to our facilities in Europe and elsewhere.”

Jake has worked in this field all his career, from starting out as an NDT (non-destructive testing) inspection assistant with the shipbuilder Cammell Laird at the age of 15 through a decade and a half of contracting work across the UK, Europe and Israel and, finally, prior to joining UM, three years in an asset inspection management role with a Merseyside inspection company.

Jake says: “I love the creative side of the job, finding solutions to challenges and seeing the results and the difference the team can make.

“The role is a mix of the proactive, planning up to 20 years ahead, and the reactive, dealing with more day-to-day matters. It’s great to be part of a Group wide team that is setting the bar for what we want to achieve in so many different areas across the business.

“Even though I’ve only been with UM for less than two years, I feel like I have been here longer than that and am part of a great family. The support I have received moving from my initial role into my current role has been first-class.”