How WiRL's partnership with TIS is looking to maximizing opportunities: An interview with CEO James Twigg

To get to know our first partner TIS a bit better we had a chat with CEO James Twigg. We talked about their organisation, why they chose to partner with WiRL and how they see the future of tech and AI developing in the retirement living space amongst many other things! See what James had to say below.

Tell us a bit about yourself, your organisation and how you got into the retirement living sector.

TIS is an 'independent systems integrator'! What does that mean?  Well, we design, install and maintain 'life-safety' solutions for retirement villages, care homes, universities, public spaces and the Ministry of Defence no less. A life-safety system is the bringing together of the separate safety features our clients have, such as fire protection, access control, security, intruder alerts, CCTV and communications solutions – all the things that keep our clients safe We integrate them to make sure they're as optimal as possible and work smartly together to help protect people, places and spaces.

On a personal level, I'm a bit of TIS furniture nowadays, having joined 10 years ago. At the time the firm was at a critical juncture, going through a difficult period in its 70-year history. I brought along not just a recovery plan, but a vision that extended beyond getting the company back on a financial even-keel. My aim was to create a culture of togetherness, respect, and excellence. For me, if you can marry how the firm operates, its finances and a great sales strategy, whilst creating an amazing culture, then you’ve got a winning business.

I'm pleased to say that TIS has since evolved into a company thriving on innovation, teamwork, and a shared passion for excellence. I feel that this is testament to this belief in the power of people. Our people-centric approach is our bedrock, enabling us to not only meet but exceed the expectations of our customers and stakeholders.

Working hand-in-hand for over a decade with ARCO and its founding members, Audley and ExtraCare Charitable Trust, we’re fully aligned with the organisations leading the way in retirement living. This long-term collaboration has helped drive innovation, set standards, and solve some of the challenges facing the UK’s ageing population.

We're delighted that you've chosen to partner with Women in Retirement Living (WiRL) – what attracted you to us?

I believe every single day is an opportunity to improve yourself and your business and we want to partner with likeminded people and organisations. Partnering with WiRL underscores our commitment to diversity and inclusion, vital for innovation and sector growth. WiRL champions the representation and advancement of women and other underrepresented groups in the retirement living industry, aligning with our own dedication to creating inclusive environments.

Importantly, this collaboration enables us to harness diverse perspectives, fostering a more innovative, empathetic, and comprehensive approach to retirement living solutions. It signifies our shared goal of enhancing industry standards and outcomes through the empowerment and inclusion of all talents.

What are you hoping to achieve through this partnership?

At TIS, we believe in pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Our team is our greatest asset. This year, we're investing more than ever in nurturing talent, fostering a culture of inclusivity, and ensuring that every member of our team feels valued and empowered.  We know that collaboration is key to our success. In 2024, we're looking to strengthen existing partnerships and forge new ones. By working together, we can achieve more than we ever could alone.

Also, the shared learning this partnership will create, will ensure, we as a combined team, are at the forefront of inclusiveness.

We're seeing a lot of expansion and change in the retirement living sector – what excites you about what we're seeing?

When people think of retirement living, most probably either think about nursing home care, or imagine some remote place, removed from the hustle and bustle of city life. Sometimes we forget that retirement living isn't about removing our seniors from mainstream society. It's about assisting them in their day-to-day lives so they have the energy and mental capacity to be themselves, which may mean being able to live in Birmingham or Bradford - where they've lived all their lives - or in London - to be close to their grandkids, or the Cotswolds, if that’s always been their dream.

I believe that giving people choice about how they live in retirement is the most exciting trend currently. But it has its own challenges because whilst we want our relatives to continue living independently, there’s undoubtedly more concerns around safety, security and support.

We all have a responsibility to support and encourage people to live independently for as long as possible.

You won’t be surprised to hear that we believe technology has a huge role to play in delivering that choice. Through smart technology, we’re able to strengthen and simplify security and safety systems to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks - providing unmatched protection regardless of location. We can use smart technology to help the elderly stay better connected to friends and family, or to monitor their daily routines such as taking medication so that they can continue to live independently.

The security and compliance we provide helps convince ‘influencers’ this is the right move for my older relatives. This is a key consideration for us all - as today’s younger generations get older, the expectations around technology to facilitate lifestyle choice are only going to grow. Can you imagine an 18 year old, having grown up in the digital age, at the age of 80? What would they expect from their digital experiences as seniors? These ‘digital natives’, whose lives have been shaped and supported by technology from as early as they can remember, are going to demand a massive change in the way later living support is provisioned. They’ve grown accustomed to smart devices in their homes and will want the same in the communities they choose to retire to. Personally, I’m really excited to see how sci-fi we can get! 

With artificial intelligence developing at the speed it is, I have no doubt that the smartest retirement homes of the future will be able to learn about their occupants, constantly collecting (necessary) data and using this information to anticipate their needs. For some players in the space, the prospect of totally overhauling operations and facilities to accommodate this may seem daunting, but as young people age, investing in the smart tech of tomorrow is as prudent as addressing the challenges of today. 

Research commissioned by the Eden Project found that disconnected communities could be costing the UK economy £32b every year, whilst loneliness, living alone and poor social connections are as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. The growth in the retirement living sector will and is having a major positive impact enabling our older population to live younger longer.

What do you think are the barriers to entry for women in (design and installation of) technology / the technology industry and what are you doing to help improve this?

Across our industry women have been under-represented in both leadership and engineering roles for far too long. This is despite numerous studies showing that diverse companies perform better financially and make better decisions. Diverse teams are more likely to come up with products and services that resonate more with non-traditional customers.

Barriers often stem from gender stereotypes, a lack of representation, and limited access to networking and mentorship opportunities. Overcoming these barriers will require concerted efforts across the industry to promote gender equality, create supportive professional networks, and foster environments that encourage and value the contributions of women in technology and design roles.

We are addressing these barriers with direct action, some of which include…

1. Specifically targeting female candidates. Not only look at the obvious candidate pools. Actively search for and recruit women, particularly recent graduates who are ready to dig in and begin ambitious careers.

2. Posting job vacancies using accessible language. Research has shown that to apply for a job, women feel they need to meet 100% of the criteria—while men usually apply after meeting about 60%. When posting jobs, list desired skills as “strongly preferred” rather than “required” so as not to discourage female applicants.

3. Creating an environment of inclusivity

4. Providing mentorship. Female employees need to be mentored, ideally by other female employees at later stages of their careers. Representation and guidance pave a path forward for more junior employees, allowing them to foresee lengthy and celebrated careers ahead of them.

5. Developing equity at the leadership level. The more women in leadership roles, the easier the path toward recruiting, retaining, and elevating others to similar positions. Make sure that women are well-represented in leadership by eliminating obstacles to advancement.  We are looking at starting our very own ‘next leadership program’ for our junior leaders to step up in the future, and have already identified several women to take part in that. 

6. Offering flexible and remote working options. Studies have shown that female employees benefit from flexible scheduling and the freedom to work from alternate locations. Leverage these options to draw in and retain more female employees.

7. Ensuring pay is fair. Pay equity remains a challenge, globally and across all industries—and this is particularly true in tech. To recruit and retain top female employees, ensure that they are paid commensurate with male employees of the same skill and responsibility levels.

From an engineering perspective, we launched the TIS Academy in 2021, in partnership with Skills for Security. With the Academy we’re renewing our commitment to deliver highly skilled individuals across our growing and demanding business. The programme nurtures young male and female talent in engineering, creating new roles and giving young people the opportunity to build a career with TIS. We’re a committed ‘equal opportunities’ employer and our hope is that we can gradually increase the ratio of women in engineering roles, creating the role models of the future for others to follow.

Who has inspired you / who is your industry idol?

I’ve been inspired by several books written by Zig Ziglar, an American author, salesman and motivational speaker.  Ziglar once said "You don't build a business—you build people and then people build the business." 

This philosophy has served TIS well. From those who have been part of this journey since day one to those who have recently joined, every team member is a pillar of our success. We now have a vibrant community where each team member contributes to our collective success. We have a culture that champions innovation, values each contribution, and constantly pushes the boundaries of what's possible in our industry.

And finally, as we're in an election year, if you could ask the Government for two or three things to help the retirement living sector, what would you ask?

Ha! Good question! It saddens me that the UK currently lags behind other developed countries like NZ, Australia and the US, with just 0.6% of over-65s living in IRCs. That’s just 90,000 people living in 70,000 units across the entire country. The ambition is to get to 250,000 people by 2030. However, that target feels like a tough ask given the current financial and political climate.

So, my main ask is that the Government commits to making financing for IRCs more suitable for the 21st century.

The economic model of an IRC is one requiring considerable investment, especially through its early years. Costs of entry are high and the time to cash maturity is long. Speeding up the process of selling/occupying units works for everyone. To date, the sector has had little option but to work with existing financial products and to ‘bend’ these where possible. Despite there being considerable appetite within the industry to speed up the growth of the sector, many developments have been put on hold whilst the current climate plays out.

We know how many units are needed to meet demand. With an ageing population, this demand is only increasing, and the current trajectory is nowhere near steep enough. To create more villages, we must find new and improved financing solutions that enable the sector to continue growing.

Also, I would ask the next government to get on board with our mission, understand the betterment we are making and the strong economic savings that are being created and work with us to deliver better lives for older people.