Blog: Meet Candice Robins, Finance & Far East Operations Director

Sharing her time between working as our Finance Director and Far East Operations Director, Candice Robins has been a vital part of GTK’s success since joining the company back in 2007. 

We caught up with Candice about her experience in her career so far, how it led her to GTK and the impact she’s been able to have over more than 15 years at the company.

Could you tell us a little about your career so far and how you ended up at GTK?

My career journey began in Taiwan, where I was born and raised, before moving to the UK to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Leeds. After graduating, I started my professional career with a Hong Kong-based OEM motherboard manufacturing company in the UK.

I initially joined as a Finance and Administration Officer and was soon promoted to Finance and Administration Manager, a role I held for three years.

When the company relocated to Oxfordshire, the long commute became impractical due to family commitments, especially with young children at home. At the time, hybrid working wasn’t an option, so I made the difficult decision to leave. However, the company asked if I would continue supporting them remotely with month-end finance tasks, which I did as a self-employed accountant.

One morning, I came across a newspaper advertisement for a Finance Manager role at GTK. What immediately caught my attention was the mention of a branch office in Taiwan – it felt like a meaningful connection to my roots.

During the interview, held in a conference room, I noticed a bronze sculpture on display with a label. To my surprise, I recognised the name of the artist – it was someone from my home town in Taiwan. That unexpected link made the opportunity feel even more personal and meaningful. It was a moment of serendipity that ultimately led me to where I am today.  

What's your favourite part about your job?

What I enjoy most about my role is its diversity, both in scope and in terms of the people I work with. I get to collaborate with teams across the Volex Group and the Far East, connecting financial strategy with supply chain operations. 

Negotiating pricing with suppliers allows me to deliver measurable financial value while keeping us cost-efficient and competitive. At the same time, I place great importance on building strong supplier relationships, which are key to long-term success and supply continuity.

How does your skillset support you in your role?

From Taiwan to the UK, my career journey has been shaped by global experiences, strategic growth, and a deep commitment to financial excellence. My MA in Human Resource Management and studies for the CIMA qualification have been a good foundation for team leadership and finance respectively and working both as a Finance & Administration Officer and a Finance Manager gave me solid finance experience at those levels.

I have had in-depth, working experience over 24 years of many key aspects of the financial field. For the past 18 years, I’ve been part of GTK’s evolution from a £6 million turnover to £30 million (including subsidiaries).

I’ve held several roles, including Group Finance Manager and now serve as Finance and Far East Operations Director. During this time, the company has undergone major transitions, including a management buyout, acquisition by Volex, and expansion through the acquisition of RDS. I’ve worked closely with auditors, consultants, private equity investors and our head office to ensure financial stability and strategic alignment.

My skillset is rooted in strong financial leadership: budgeting, forecasting, cost control and cross-border collaboration. I manage our Finance team and oversee our Taiwan branch office, working closely with subsidiaries in the UK, Germany, Romania, and Taiwan. My role involves monitoring cost trends, maintaining financial oversight across regions, and ensuring our pricing strategies remain competitive while supporting strong supplier relationships.

Speaking Mandarin has also been a key advantage in managing Far East operations. It allows me to build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, many of whom have worked with GTK for over 30 years. As we expand our supplier base to meet changing customer needs, cultural understanding and regular communication remain essential – especially when negotiating pricing or navigating tough conversations.

Ultimately, my role is about bridging cultures, balancing books, and driving sustainable growth. I’m proud to be part of GTK’s journey and excited for what’s ahead.  

"Overall, being part of Volex strengthens GTK’s position in the market and accelerates our long-term growth ambitions."

What are the key financial priorities for the company over the next 12 to 24 months?

Over the next 12–24 months, GTK’s key financial priorities will focus on capturing growth opportunities in strategic markets such as Defence, Security, Aviation, EV charging etc. We’re also expanding our product lines to support the company’s five-year growth targets, ensuring we remain competitive and well-positioned for long-term success.

With everything going on in the world right now and global defence budgets increasing, we’re seeing an increase in Defence sales with orders for drones and aviation electronics.

These aren’t just for military use but also for various airspace projects, as well as security electronics, CCTV, protection and aerial requirements for blocking messages and frequencies.

How do GTK's international manufacturing locations benefit the company financially?

GTK’s international manufacturing footprint plays a key role in driving financial efficiency and customer satisfaction.

By strategically having factories in the UK, Romania, and the Far East, GTK is able to align production capabilities with customer requirements across different industries and order volumes.

Our UK factory specialises in prototypes, labour-intensive processes and small-volume orders. This allows for close collaboration with customers during the early development stage and ensures high flexibility.

Our Romanian factory is designed for semi-automated production and medium-volume orders. These facilities strike a balance between cost efficiency and production scalability, serving European markets effectively.

These were strategically set up in 2016, in order to have a factory that would fulfil the order standards for European markets.

Our Far East factories are focused on fully automated, high-volume production. These sites enable GTK to meet large-scale demand at competitive costs.

This global setup allows GTK to assign projects to the most suitable location based on complexity, volume, and cost efficiency.

In addition to production savings, GTK benefits from reduced distribution costs and shorter lead times by delivering goods regionally when possible, such as when supplying Asian and US customers directly from the Far East and European customers from Romania or UK.

The result is a lean, responsive and cost-effective manufacturing model that supports GTK’s financial strength and global competitiveness.  

What has been the biggest external impact on the company's finances over your time working at GTK, and how did the company manage it?

The biggest external impact on GTK’s finances during my time with the company was the global financial crisis in 2008. This event triggered a severe stock market crash and quickly escalated into a worldwide economic downturn.

As credit markets tightened and international trade declined, GTK experienced a 20% drop in revenue compared to the previous year. Unsurprisingly, it was a loss-making year – the only one in the company’s history since I joined in 2007.

However, GTK responded decisively. The company underwent a major restructure, which included consolidating operations by relocating two business units to a single site in Basingstoke. The company also refinanced with a new banking partner, which provided the financial flexibility needed to recover.

These actions proved highly effective. In the following year, GTK achieved a 22% increase in revenue and returned to profitability. This marked the beginning of a strong and sustained growth trajectory. Since then, the company has continued to grow year after year, emerging from the crisis more resilient and better positioned for long-term success.  

How has joining the Volex Group benefitted the company?

GTK’s integration into the Volex Group has delivered substantial strategic and financial advantages, reinforcing our position in the global market and accelerating our long-term growth ambitions.

As part of one of the world’s leading providers of power products and interconnect solutions, GTK now benefits from:

Global expansion: Access to Volex’s international footprint enables GTK to penetrate new markets and serve a broader customer base, driving top-line growth.

Operational synergies: Shared technologies, manufacturing expertise, and best practices across the group improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance product quality.

Financial strength: Backing from Volex provides greater capital resources to invest in infrastructure, talent, and innovation, supporting long-term scalability.

Collaborative innovation: Working alongside other Volex companies allows us to develop more integrated and competitive solutions.

Overall, being part of Volex strengthens GTK’s position in the market and accelerates our long-term growth ambitions.  

What has been your biggest challenge as Finance Director at GTK - and how did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge I faced as Finance Director at GTK was navigating intense cost pressures during a period of global component shortages and rising inflation. These factors directly impacted our margins and threatened supply continuity.

To overcome this, I took a two-pronged approach:

Supplier collaboration: I worked closely with our Far East suppliers to renegotiate terms and secure consistent supply despite volatile pricing. This helped maintain production flow and strengthened long-term supplier relationships.

Financial discipline: Internally, I implemented tighter financial controls and led initiatives to improve working capital efficiency. This included reviewing inventory strategies, optimising payment terms, and protecting margins through cost management.

By balancing strategic supplier engagement with rigorous financial oversight, we not only weathered the disruption but emerged more resilient, with improved operational agility and stronger partnerships.