The MD of Future Factory North has revealed that he was handed redundancy for his 10-year work anniversary.
John Schumacher joined Future Factory, a lead generation agency for digital and creative agencies, as an account director in 2015 before rising through the ranks to open the company’s Northern office in Manchester in 2019.
He built the Northern team to 25 staff and opened an office in Glasgow – but there was no gold watch waiting for him when his decade with the firm came around.
“What did you get for your 10 year work anniversary? A gold watch? Golf Clubs? An afternoon at the Hilton for a grease down and a shi-atsu?” he wrote on LinkedIn.
“Well for me…it began with ‘R’ and ended in ‘edundancy’!”
He added: “Having now left my sad and angry stage, I can laugh about the irony of this ‘commercial’ decision now.”
The Future Factory is part of The Ingenuity Group.
Schumacher continued: “For those who don’t know my story; I moved to Manchester on my own with no idea whether I could make this work and after years of sweat and toil, I’m leaving having opened two northern offices, 25 fantastic team members and an office culture that is second to none (which I hope won’t be compromised).
“For me, the future is already shaping up to be an exciting one and I can’t wait to share details of my next venture… Future Factory – it’s been an incredible decade!”
Key figures in the North’s tech scene including Naomi Timperley shared their surprise at the news.
Natalie Jameson, senior vice president for the EMEA Region at BNY, wrote: “Really sorry to hear this—being made redundant can be incredibly tough, both professionally and personally.
“It never defines your worth or the incredible skills you bring to the table.”
Nick Richardson, founder of The Insights Family, commented: “The future is very bright my friend!”
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