Priority Pass – what are Collinson Group like to work for?

[TeddyBoy2023]

I have been offered a managerial role at Collinson Group, the family run business behind Priority Pass. The role is based in their Haywards Heath office

What are CG like to work for? The family run bit is a bit concerning, TBH

[Rob]

I know the senior team (including the old man, if he’s still with us).

Colin is/was exceptionally business focused but 100% driven by cost. Last time we had lunch he was about to go off on a literal round the world tour to visit Collinson offces – in Economy. He couldn’t find a Business fare he found cheap enough. This is a guy who is literally worth hundreds of millions of pounds and was in his mid-70s at that point.

The businesses they buy are generally on the verge of bankrtuptcy (or are bust) but have decent brands and they turn them around. I can’t think of a business they’ve ever bought at full price. There’s nothing wrong with this strategy of course – when we bought Business Travel News it was a similarly opportunistic deal.

The boys may be more chilled but my best guess is that this culture permeates the business. That said, everyone we know at Collinson / PP is lovely, including the boys – who do seem more chilled than Dad – and they have never tried to unreasonably beat us down on price for anything we’ve done for them.

Family ownership can be a good thing (ask my staff) because you won’t have the six monthly pressure of a quoted company to hit / fiddle your numbers to meet targets. The downside is that you will never become CEO and it’s possible that the children are less talented / less driven than the founder – Wilko is a good example of what happens when untalented family members are put in charge and then use the company as a piggy bank.

If you look at what they did during covid – getting a huge testing operation off the ground in record time, with no previous experience except for good airport contacts – you see that they really can move quickly when needed.