After more than three decades in business, design-and-build specialists OVO Spaces show no signs of standing still – their latest move sees the addition of Operations Manager Charlotte Wilshire, who, as it happens, is Managing Director Rebecca Knight’s daughter. Charlotte joined Rebecca and CEO David Baldwin to chat with unLTD about capacity, culture and why not everything in a creative business has to live in a spreadsheet.
You’ve just brought Charlotte into the team. What gap is she here to fill?
Rebecca: Capacity has been our biggest challenge – the capacity to do, and the capacity to grow. We’ve got a brilliant team and a strong client base, but we’re still relatively small. We needed someone to help us build structure and free us up to focus on strategic development.
David: Charlotte brings operational and systems thinking, which is something we’ve not previously had to do – but it’s absolutely what we need now. We’re not into the ‘corporate middle management’ thing, but we definitely needed to bolster the leadership team.
Charlotte, you’ve come from a more corporate IT environment. What’s the shift been like?
Charlotte: I was in operations at FluidOne (formerly Highlander) for seven years, so it’s definitely a change! The culture here is very different – more creative, more personal – but it’s been a breath of fresh air. That said, many of the operational challenges are the same. Understanding time tracking, project profitability, resource investment – these are cross-industry issues, and I’ve already seen areas where we can improve things here using processes I’ve worked with before.
How much of your first few weeks has been about fact-finding vs getting stuck in?
Charlotte: I’m very aware not to come in and start ‘moving furniture’ – I saw that analogy on LinkedIn and it stuck with me! It’s about integrity with the team and building trust first. I’m spending time with individuals, understanding what support they need, and where we can align that with the business goals. Yes, there are changes I want to make, but they have to come from a shared need and clear benefit – not just change for change’s sake.
So what will that structure bring to OVO in real terms?
Rebecca: A big one is aligning individual goals with business goals. We want to create clear progression and development plans, so our people understand where they’re going and how that supports our wider success.
Charlotte: We’ve started work on documenting processes, mapping gaps, and bringing in things like CRM improvements and better time tracking. It’s about making life easier for the team and giving us visibility around time investment and profitability. That frees the leadership team to focus on growth – and gives everyone clarity on what we’re doing and why.
And that feeds into your plans for growth?
David: Absolutely. We’re already one of the best in the region at what we do, and we want to build on that. We’ve done a lot in office and industrial sectors – particularly on the Advanced Manufacturing Park, where we’ve delivered everything from offices to technical labs. We’re not looking to go national, but we do want to grow across South Yorkshire and the surrounding area.
Rebecca: Having Charlotte here means we can raise our service levels further. That structure allows us to be even more client-focused and delivery-led.
Has the industry changed much in the 33 years since OVO began?
David: The fundamentals haven’t changed – on time, on budget, quality delivery. But expectations have definitely evolved. Offices are more people-centric now. Post-Covid, there’s a big emphasis on wellbeing, comfort, and design that draws inspiration from hospitality – making people want to come in. More space, better airflow, more ‘life support’ systems.
Rebecca: There’s definitely more demand for things like sit-stand desks, acoustic pods, private booths – spaces for focused work or private conversations within open-plan environments.
David: And the tech side is huge. Our design capability has rocketed, especially with VR. Clients can now walk through a space before it’s built – which saves a lot of time, money and problems later on.
And what’s next?
Rebecca: Streamlining and clarity. At the moment there’s some overlap – designers helping with marketing, contracts supporting sales. That’s not a bad thing, but Charlotte’s helping us focus those roles so everyone knows what their priorities are. It’s about tightening the process, so we can be even more creative.
Charlotte: Everything is a process in the end – even creativity. What I’m here to do is make those processes clearer, more supportive and more efficient. That way, the team can do more of what they love – and do it even better.
Web: www.ovospaces.co.uk
LinkedIn: OVO Spaces
Instagram: @ovospaces
