Andy Batty

“Andy's business acumen, commercial expertise and product awareness make him a world class COO. Beyond his undeniable competence and capability he was also a pleasure to work with.  At Free Now, I was particularly impressed by his ability to coordinate 8+ markets, all very different in nature, in a flawless manner. Not only he devised individual strategies without ever losing sight of the global perspective, but he also managed to consistently and quite impressively grow Free Now commercially despite the numerous obstacles in his path.  His teams are one of the strongest I've met thus far and that's because Andy will not settle for good enough. He will go out of his way to instil pragmatism and bring order to chaos, without ever failing to inspire those around him.  Andy's next company and team will be very lucky to have him.”

“Andy hired me at the start of 2019 to head up and build out a brand new department reporting directly to him in order to optimise the operational performance of the markets/ central functions. From day one Andy instilled a strong, unique, leadership foundation that became the bedrock of our working relationship. I benefitted from the high level of trust and ownership that he gives his direct reports. This is not simply part of his management style, but also his nature. “Give me your best and I’ll back you 100%” rings in my ears, and he meant it. Andy allowed me to find my own space within the role and company while also always being there to guide and advise - evenings, weekends or even on his holidays. It is a rare skill for a C-Level leader to foster a working relationship that is not only strategic but also so detail orientated. His focus and working knowledge of the ‘nuts and bolts’ of each market and function was impressive; his ability to challenge assumptions was admirable and always focussed on the customer/ user experience, value add, and overall growth. Andy constantly strived for improvement, never hesitating to get stuck in. He promised me a fast-paced rollercoaster ride and he wasn’t wrong. The growth that we went through while we worked together was exceptional, Andy was central to driving this across all our markets, adding considerable value strategically, operationally and cross-functionally. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with him again or to recommend Andy. ”

“- Andy is always and without fault continually showing leadership and support to his and other teams. This makes people feel empowered, supported and assisted to give their very best without unnecessary pressure or stress. - In addition, Andy manages a very complex and large operation in onefinestay's largest market. He does this with a very high level of quality, better efficiency than in the past and instills a sense of diligence, discipline and good habits in the rest of the team to achieve success. - Andy is always the person to step forward and help, he is a person that the company has relied on for a long time and represents a key upward driving force in taking the company forward. - In the true spirit of the servant leader he's always the first in and the last one out as he is always accessible and ready to help. - Andy is a frank and honest person and can be relied upon to provide a clear and honest evaluation of whatever issue may arise as well as dedicate himself to find a positive solution.”

“Andy is an inspirational leader who constantly challenges himself and those around him to work smarter, solve innovatively and deliver excellence. Andy cares deeply for his team - evidenced by his relentless support, his investment in their development and the energy he channels into morale. It was a pleasure working with, and learning from, Andy - whose energy, pragmatism and analytical mind will be missed.”

“If your ship were sinking, Andy would be the guy you’d want on board to fix the leak whilst keeping the crew smiling. He’s a rare combination of a natural leader who can instil confidence in a diverse team, and a team player who will truly focus and dedicate his time to any task, however far it may sit outside his official remit. In the time we have worked together at Tough Mudder, Andy has made substantial operational changes to increase efficiency and improve margins whilst also overseeing the smooth execution of two extremely busy event seasons. Despite these demands requiring him to put in extremely long hours in their own right, he is always the first to step in and offer support and creative solutions for everything from partnerships pitches to marketing campaigns, and to keep team morale high when energy levels are low. I would back any business with Andy’s name attached to it, and would be proud to work in his team.”

“Andy is the kind of professional that you want to keep close by. Not only did his enthusiasm, energy and charisma keep all the team at the edge of our seats but his entrepreneurial mind and impressive ability to design a massive and complex logistical operation from scratch was invaluable to our project. Andy is a person I would fully trust both professionally and personally and I will most certainly get in touch with him for any business venture I undertake in the future.”

“Andy is detail orientated leader, who is able to guide a team towards achieving goals&objectives. Andy is an excellent mentor, has helped identify and develops my skills. Inspiring, Creative and Personable it was a true pleasure working with him.”

“Andy is an enthusiastic and motivated individual who combines high level strategic perspective with a strong pragmatic mentality. His ability to identify business improvement requirements and implement rapid, results-driven change is particularly impressive. He would be an asset to any business.”

“Andy is a very charismatic person, a natural leader, having an incredible amount of energy, and able to transfer this energy to his peers and to the persons working for him. He also has a very strong drive for result and is able to adapt to any kind of situation. This recommendation is definitely full of superlatives, but keep in mind that I am French and that in France we are more used to complaining rather that recommending. Andy is the only recommendation I made on linked in so far, probably because Andy is part of this top one percent of rare persons that leave a lasting impression in people's mind.”

“Andy is an exceptional individual who manages very successfully to balance an entrepreneurial approach with pragmatism and gets things done! He is very results orientated, highly enthusiastic and will tackle any challenge in a very positive and proactive manner. He would be an asset to any team - either as a strong leader but also as an exceptional team player - adding value and driving forward to achieve results where everyone feels a part of the success”