Independent forecourt operator Goran Raven of Raven’s Budgens Abridge in Essex.
Fitness fanatic and forecourt operator Goran Raven likes to multi-task. He fondly remembers agreeing a Shell fuel deal with the late Steve Hamer while out training on their bikes for his next triathlon. But Goran’s favourite thing is a walk in Scotland’s Cairngorms with his family and dogs.
Name: Goran Raven
Job title: Director
01. Career history:
The business was set up in 1929 by my great great grand father. We have sold Shell fuel on the site continuously from that point onwards, so we are not far from our 100th year with Shell.
Before joining the family business I worked in a few different car dealerships - Rover, Citroen and Vauxhall - in most of the departments, including sales, service and parts, just trying to get a feel of how that industry worked. This was in the late 90s and I was in my early 20s.
We thought our business, which had a workshop, vehicle recovery and car sales on site, would be moving more in the direction of the general motor trade, rather than fuel at the time. Things did not work out that way, which seemed terrible at the time but with hindsight this was a blessing.
I did not start working within the business full time until the late 90s. I can still remember my first day doing a till shift.
I took over after my father passed away in 2017 from cancer. One of the first things I did was to redevelop the shop to a 3,000 sq ft Budgens.
My eldest sister works in the business, and my mother still comes in most days to check up on me to make sure i am not getting into any mischief.
02. Dream job:
Head taster at Cadbury’s.
03. What do you drive?
Range Rover and a Volkswagen Amarock, as well as a collection of various bikes which my wife frowns at. I have just bought a tandem which she will find out about when she reads this.
Triathlon training ignited a real passion in me for cycling. I enjoy the freedom the bike provides. I have cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats in seven days, helping to raise over £10,000 for a male suicide charity, which was probably the hardest thing I have ever done.
I got into competing in triathlons in 2012 and slowly did more and more races, and have cocered every distance from sprint to a full Ironman Triathlon.
04. Perfect day:
A day out walking with the family and dogs in the mountains.
05. Best holiday:
Two weeks post lockdown in a very remote cottage in Scotland’s Cairngorms.
06: Holiday wish-list:
South Pacific island hopping.
07: Favourite read:
Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. It is an amazing read.
08: Three words to describe yourself:
Persistent, loyal, and honest.
09: Possessions you could not do without:
My mobile phone, which is a blessing and a curse all in one.
10: What do you most admire?
Honesty. I would rather hear bad news straight up than people trying to fudge the issue.
11. Favourite sports person:
Chrissie Wellington OBE, the forrmer professional triathlete and four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion: a sporting fairytale of coming from nowhere to being undefeated.
12. Best news over the past 12 months:
That both of my children got the grades they needed in exams to start the next part of their journey in education.
13. Recent achievements:
Multiple Ironman Triathlon finisher. Completing a 2.4 mile swim, then a 112 mile bike, and then a 26.2 mile run.
14. What’s your pet peeve:
Littering, and bad table manners.
15. Biggest fear:
Time, it just does not stop and you never seem to have enough of it
16. Most important qualities in the workplace:
Honesty and integrity.
17. What motivates you?
Trying to be better than yesterday.
18. Best thing about the job:
Never having two days the same, and always facing new challenges.
19. Best bit of business advice you have ever received:
Act in haste, repent at leisure. I have acted too qyuickly in the past and made poor choices. Time and thought normally produce a better outcome.
20. Most recent business achievement of note:
The redevelopment of our forecourt in December 2023. It threw lots of curve balls at me, but was very much wothwhile. I ended up spending around £700,000, with the addition of new lines, pumps, jet wash, etc. One thing always leads to another and we wanted to make sure that we did everything we needed to do.
