Impact and Story of Tim Bailey
From Golf Balls to Gigabit: Tim Bailey’s Journey to Orbus
Tim Bailey grew up in the rolling countryside of rural Shropshire, a place where community mattered and the outdoors was your playground. Moving there at just two years old, he quickly embraced a life of muddy boots, team sports, and early responsibility. His first job came at age 14, working weekends at the local golf driving range — dodging golf balls while collecting them by hand, and loving every second of it. To this day, he says it was the best job he ever had.
After finishing sixth form at grammar school, Tim made a bold decision. While many of his peers headed off to university, he chose a different path — one grounded in real-world experience. At just 18, he packed up and moved from rural Shropshire to Sussex to start his first full-time job with Royal Sun Alliance Insurance. In the space of a few years, he went from countryside life to handling complex car, home, and liability insurance claims, gaining not just business skills but life lessons in empathy, accountability, and resilience.
That early taste of corporate life opened doors. Over the next decade and a half, Tim carved out a career in communications and marketing, working with household names like Barclays, Legal & General, and Santander. But it was in 2001 that his journey took a defining turn — joining Npower to help grow a new division focused on domestic energy. Here, he built partnerships with major price comparison sites, helping to shape how millions of people switched energy providers.
It was during this time that Tim met Andrea Troy, then Head of Commercial at energyhelpline. Though they sat on opposite sides of the partnership table — Tim representing the supplier, Andrea the price comparison service — they quickly developed a strong working relationship built on mutual respect and a shared belief in delivering real value to customers. That connection grew into a lasting friendship that continued long after Andrea left EHL and Tim moved on from Npower.
After 18 years at Npower, Tim joined Shell Energy, taking on a senior role overseeing sales partners across energy and broadband. In 2024, he took a well-earned sabbatical to travel and recharge. When Andrea began building out her team at Orbus, there was no question who she would call first for the newly created Head of Partnerships role.
Now at Orbus, Tim brings the full weight of his experience — but also the grounded perspective of someone who knows what it means to roll up their sleeves. He believes in creating services that are not only technically excellent, but also genuinely helpful. His journey from golf ball chaser to strategic leader is one defined by curiosity, consistency, and a belief that the best solutions start with listening to people.