Last week, Daemmon Reeve, Group CEO, received an honorary doctorate from the University of Suffolk in recognition for his significant contribution to business. During the awards ceremony at St Edmundsbury Cathedral, Daemmon was invited to share his experiences with the graduates.
“Firstly, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the University of Suffolk for this great honour, which I must admit came as a bit of a surprise.
I began my career as a bench chemist at Treatt back in 1991 and since then have been lucky enough to travel to 37 countries and hold eight different positions in the business. I never imagined when I was doing my A-levels and getting career advice that I would end up running a global business.
My experiences have shaped who I am today, and I’ve certainly had a few of those. I have been very fortunate in my tenure at Treatt as I’ve always enjoyed the business and the industry we serve.
I am proud to be leading a great business like Treatt. Next year, we will be relocating our global headquarters to Suffolk Business Park from our current location in Northern Way. This is a transformative change for the business, and I know that the biggest challenges remain ahead of me.
I’m the CEO of Treatt, but I don’t know it all. Every day I learn and my message to you at the beginning of your careers is to stay curious and always learn. Stay humble, be interested and learn new things. I have a real passion for what I do and to enjoy your own career, you must find your passion. Success doesn’t land in your lap; you will only get out what you put in – so be ready to work.
Suffolk is a great place to learn and do business. The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and the local authorities are very supportive of business. As an ambassador for Invest In Suffolk, it’s something I’m keen to champion as Suffolk has so much going for it.
At Treatt, we have grown our business by putting our people first and respecting and contributing to our local communities – which is the right thing to do. Our recruitment philosophy is simple. We hire the right attitude and we train for aptitude. Attitude could not be more important so keep that in mind in any interviews you might have coming up.
I get my kicks these days seeing people develop in our business, helping my colleagues build great careers – often in ways they didn’t expect.
To conclude, if you want to succeed, you must work hard. Don’t be afraid to put the effort in, show up on time, get involved in activities outside of your area, always learn and be passionate about what you do. Get out there and prove your worth by being the difference.”