In the first of our ‘In conversation…’ series, we’re chatting to Dave Tomlinson, our Operations Director, about his typical day (doesn’t exist), the differences between operations within large enterprise and agile mid-sector (definitely do exist), and the advice he’d give to aspiring Ops professionals (definitely do it).
Starting as an engineer at Sky Television, Dave’s career kicked off in an era of major transformation. The shift to digital in 1998 triggered rapid expansion, and the Bolton engineering team he was part of grew from just 15 to over 300 practically overnight. It was a period of intense change and opportunity; one that saw Dave step into a managerial role at just 23.
“From there, I moved up through the ranks at Sky, becoming a regional manager overseeing 200-300 engineers, and eventually the Head of Field Operations managing 1,000 engineers.”
As his career progressed, so did the scale of responsibility. Moving into regional management, he oversaw teams of 200-300 engineers before stepping into the role of Head of Field Operations, leading 1,000 engineers. From there, a pivot into Continuous Improvement in Scotland saw him working directly with frontline teams to drive operational efficiency from bottom-up, helping bring employee ideas from inception to completion.
Next came a move to AVC Group, one of Sky’s major subcontractors, where he took on the role of Head of Field Operations for the South, managing 1,500 engineers and a sizeable leadership team. After AV was acquired by Sky, the opportunity to build something from scratch led Dave to Hyperoptic—growing operations from 15 engineers to 1,000 across 22 cities in just five years.
A brief stint in property followed, but alas, the call of telecoms was irresistible, and in 2020, he joined Elevate, and has since played a key role in scaling the business from 60 to over 200 employees.
Dave says that , whether leading 15 people or 1,500, the core principles of effective leadership remain the same. Operations isn’t just about processes and technology, at its core, it’s about people. And at Elevate, Dave’s scope goes beyond engineers. Logistics, fleet, service delivery, and project management all form part of the bigger picture, making operations a truly dynamic and interdependent function.
Dave’s role quickly expanded. The business operations originally operated as three separate teams — Telcom Networks, Telcom Infrastructure, and ClearFibre. Over the past two years, these have been unified into a single operational unit. The focus? Efficiency, scalability, and seamless service delivery.
“The biggest lesson I've learned is to never stand still. Complacency is detrimental, so I'm always looking for the next improvement, whether it's a new system, process, or technology. In this industry especially, staying ahead is crucial to success.”
Thinking of a career in operations? Jump in. It’s a role that offers variety, impact, and the chance to solve complex challenges daily. The ability to make a real difference, both to the business and to the people within it, is what makes operations such a rewarding path.
Each morning starts with an operational review: assessing performance, tackling immediate challenges, and setting the course for the day ahead. But beyond that, every day is different. One minute it’s strategy, the next it’s problem-solving in the field.
Above all, success in operations comes down to people. Leadership is about more than managing teams; it’s about developing them. A strong, motivated workforce drives business success, ensuring the team is ready to adapt, innovate, and tackle whatever challenges come next.
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