Getting to know... Adam Whiteley 

In the latest instalment of Bdaily's Getting to know feature, which looks at the person behind the business profile, Adam Whiteley, finance director at Harrogate-based Synergy Car and Van Leasing, talks about riding the automotive sector's bumps in the road, the value of team work and why the North means so much to him... 

Did you always want to work in the automotive sector?

The automotive industry wasn’t necessarily the goal, but I didn’t particularly have a certain industry or sector in mind when I started out in my career. 

I have been working in the sector for ten years, and there have been plenty of challenges, such as supply chain issues, emissions scandals, regulatory changes and macro-events such as COVID-19 and wars – all of which have impacted the industry – and certainly kept things interesting!

What’s the best bit about your job? And the worst?

The people at Synergy are really great, and they make it a friendly place to work. 

As a leadership team, we all get on well and have skills that complement each other. 

The wider team are a great group to work with and make coming into the office a lot of fun.

As for the worst part, I would have to say it would be the issues we have around residual values and vehicles heavily depreciating over the last few years. 

It has been hard to find ways of mitigating this. This part of the job has been very challenging. 

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Passing all of the ACCA exams at the first attempt. 

While working full-time, I still had deadlines to meet and a job to do to a high standard. 

Most of my studying was done at weekends, which was difficult when my friends were out having fun. 

Luckily, I had a very supportive employer and the hard work certainly paid off.

How do you relax outside of work? 

I have a young family, so a lot of my time is spent doing things with them. 

I am also a season ticket holder at Elland Road, so I regularly go to watch Leeds United. Some may say that isn’t too relaxing, but I enjoy it.

What makes the North such a great place to live and work?

The combination of large, modern cities with beautiful countryside and stunning coastlines makes the North a truly wonderful place to live. 

The people have a wit and charm you just don’t find in other places. 

There is a fantastic food and drink scene to enjoy too.

Tell us something about you we didn’t know…

At 15, I wanted to be a journalist and did work experience at the Yorkshire Post – I had an article published during that time. 

More recently, I am the holder of the illustrious Synergy Star Baker Award, which is a bit of fun we have to raise money for the Macmillan Coffee Morning and support people in the UK living with cancer.

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