Balancing Service and Sales – Meet Rich Varley, Senior Sales Manager & Military Reservist

In this Q&A, we speak to our Senior Sales Manager, Rich Varley, who shares his experiences, challenges and insights on what it means to serve in the reserves and in everyday life.

Q: Tell us about your role at Chess Dynamics

A: ‘I am the Senior Land Sales Manager, so my role consists of leading and managing the land business sector in Chess, working as part of the wider Business Development team. I am responsible for the qualification of new opportunities in line with company strategy, and the management of the Land order pipeline. I also act as the ‘voice of the customer’, which means that I have to understand their needs and requirements and be able to articulate them to the Chess team.’

Q: You’re also a reserve in the military. What does that entail?

A: ‘I am a Major in 221 Battery within 100 Regiment Royal Artillery, and my role is as a Gunnery Instructor. This involves a variety of activities, including instructing military students in forward observation (calling in artillery and mortar fire and coordinating air and helicopter support), and training personnel in staff planning of artillery for operations.’

Q: How do your civilian and military roles compliment each other?

A: ‘Chess’ range of Land products are used by artillery soldiers. Having served as a Regular in both Air Defence and Close Support artillery units, as well as on operations in Afghanistan, I am well placed to understand how Chess can meet soldiers’ needs and identify capability gaps. As a Reservist I also have access to up-to-date UK military thinking which gives an indication of what equipment the MOD (and allies) will require.’

Q: What are the biggest challenges of balancing both careers

A: ‘Fortunately, Chess is very supportive of my career as a Reservist and allows me 10 days to use for Reserve service. As a result, I make up the rest of my Reserve days requirement at weekends. My unit does not require me to parade on a weekly basis; instead, we gather for fixed weekends throughout the year. The biggest challenge so far has been landing back from the UAE on a Saturday morning at 5am after an overnight flight and a full week at a show and then heading straight to a Reserve training weekend!’

Q: What skills have you gained from being a reservist that help your civilian job?

A: ‘As I was a Regular before I became a Reservist, the biggest assistance that it has given me is that I am able to maintain my currency and competency. It also enables me to still talk with