Did you enjoy school?
Yes – I am curious by nature so all through school, learning new things was something I absolutely loved. I was proud to be appointed as Head Girl which, in a school whose history was all boys, brought difference of thought and approach to how the school operated and what our vision and mission was.
What qualifications do you have?
BA (Hons), Politics and Economics. I’m also a chartered management consultant.
Has your career path been a smooth transition, a rocky road or a combination of both?
Bit of both. I started working in Local Government ln the national fast track scheme when I left university and gained a lot of experience, real life skills and knowledge whilst there. Next I went to a major consulting firm and was quickly identified as someone open to a challenge! I ended up working across a diverse range of clients both in the UK and beyond. That led me into all sorts of incredible assignments – some were smooth and others, you could say were rocky! I survived and found my niche – consulting.
What specific challenges do you see women facing in the industry?
It relates back to the last question really. As a woman, and a mother, there are always compromises. I started Cadence Innova because of having a family, and a career, and wanting to ensure that I, and others, could be effective and successful at both. The industry has historically been male dominated, and it has taken quite some time for this to be addressed. The real challenge is not the tech elements, it is finding allyship.
What is the best career advice you can give to others?
Experiment; you may not find the perfect role straight out of school or university. Early in your career, keep an open mind and more importantly, look for opportunities to grow.
If you had to pick one mentor that had the biggest influence on you, who would it be?
Without doubt it would be my line manager when I joined the consulting firm. He was a great mentor and an ally. He taught me how to be a great consultant and supported my ambitions. He still works with me today (and these days I am his boss, which is hilarious).
From where do you draw inspiration?
People around me, my family and from clients that I work with. My two sons give me much aspiration and keep me up to date with what’s happening in their world, one being a young adult and the other a teenager. As a mother, I’ve dealt with all kinds of exciting challenges and needs through both of them, and can empathise with parents whom I work with. I am incredibly curious so having great people who are open to sharing their thoughts, ideas and energy is just amazing.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced to date?
Getting up at 5am to catch yet another flight overseas! No, seriously, it is balancing and bringing positive tension to your people and the need to build a commercially viable and successful business. You need the business success to look after the people and vice versa.
What qualities do you feel makes a good leader?
Trust would be my number one, followed by transparency. Not giving up till the task is completed and everyone goes home happy with their contribution.
From a work viewpoint, what has the last 12 months been like?
It has been a whirlwind! We have been successful in being acquired by Transform UK. They are a complementary consulting firm that have a strong footprint in the public sector – something that is close to my heart. Now that the integration is starting, we can really see the who we can bring even more value to our people, our clients and to the communities in which they serve.
What would you say are the biggest tech-based challenges we face today?
AI. There are so many facets to AI but fundamentally, it is being seen as the panacea to all the issues that businesses face. I would challenge that thinking.
What can be done to encourage more women into the industry?
We work hard to answer this question and I believe it starts with a few simple things – role models to show young women that we can be highly successful in a tech career, hiring strategies that ensure there is no bias and then, when women join the industry, allyship and mentoring.
Give us a fact about you that most other people wouldn’t know.
I can run 5k in an extremely competitive time, even for a mother of two in my late 40s!
