An Interview With...

🌟 Spotlight On… Jon Lisle

What’s your role at NEUPC and how long have you been here?
I look after all things Estates and Construction for NEUPC, focusing on our North East members (the mighty NE5). Home base is South Tyneside, but my work takes me across the region. I’ve been here three and a half years, which has absolutely flown by — although in procurement years, that’s probably about 12 frameworks and 12487 cups of coffee.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
Definitely the people. Working with a group of like-minded, switched-on professionals who can turn procurement chat into something lively and creative is gold. There’s always a good mix of serious thinking and light-hearted moments.

What’s been your proudest moment or biggest achievement at work so far?
Taking the brilliant stakeholder relationships built by my predecessor and keeping them strong — while making plenty of new ones along the way. In higher education, people often move between universities, so it’s a bit like staying in touch with old friends while making new ones at the same time.

What does a typical day look like for you?
Some days glide along nicely, others have a few bumps, but there’s always the trusty to-do list keeping me on track. I try to carve out at least an hour to think outside the box and let the procurement creativity flow.

What’s one thing your colleagues might not know about you?
I’m a bit of a walker — usually 4 to 5 miles a day. I stick to local footpaths and bridleways for now, but “official rambler” status might be on the cards. It’s great for clearing the head… and occasionally chatting to the odd curious dog along the way.

If you weren’t working in this role, what would your dream job be?
Easy — a street food travel vlogger. Imagine: hopping between countries, tasting incredible food, meeting fascinating people… and hopefully getting it all for free. What’s not to love?

If you could have dinner with any historical figure or famous person, who would it be and why?
David Attenborough. No hesitation. He’s a living legend and, like me, from Leicester. I’d happily listen to his stories around a campfire all night — especially if Bob Marley popped in to provide the soundtrack.

What’s your go-to productivity hack or favourite way to stay organised?
Good old-fashioned spreadsheets. They might not be flashy, but they get the job done. Plus, nothing beats the satisfaction of turning a cell green when you’ve ticked something off.