About me
If it's interesting I'm interested so you can find me in medieval towns and mazes, reading about buildings and how people think, and making up convoluted party games. I take work really quite seriously and need to be passionate about it. I'm one of those introverts that loves socialising and people say I think too deeply, which always makes me laugh because they have no idea.
All of this makes me great in start ups, or in unexplored territory, anywhere where there's a team or people who need listening to, when you need something to be created; a team, a process, a strategy or a party-hat for your birthday do.
I like things when they keep moving, I need variety, and I love a good company OKR.
If you're wondering why there are gaps in my timeline c. 2015 I was a fellow on an Art & Design degree and I bummed around doing commissions, volunteering, and exhibiting until I was done with the bohemian lifestyle (it was done with me) and wanted to work - I was fortunate to love where I landed.
Projects
- Exhibition Design in Education TechnologyOver my first two years at Arbor our trade show stand design went on a bit of a journey - from what I could carry in suitcase and put up on my own in one night to a furniture making company producing my stand design at our biggest show. I wanted to capture who we were as a company; smart and friendly, intelligent and kind. I wanted visitors to be curious about the contradiction of materials (balloons and wood) and curious about us, we were a contradiction in the market too.
- How do you surprise someone with a holiday?It's straight forward - take a box and fill it with miniature boxes made from photos of the holiday destination, hiding the tickets and reservations inside. Replicate a beach in glitter and pop messages-in-bottles along the shoreline with more pictures of things they'll see. Add an 'Airbnb' branded box with pictures of your Airbnb in because you/they are obsessed with Airbnb. Give it to them and let 'em figure it out.
Work history
A
A
Sales Development ManagerArbor Education
Leeds, United KingdomFull Time
I joined Arbor (SAAS Education Technology) when it was a start-up launching a brand new office in Leeds, I started with 3 other colleagues and now have 32!
Back in 2016 I was the first Sales Development Executive and pioneered the Sales Development team and it's processes at Arbor. We grew from capturing business opportunities worth £1.5 million to £6 million and propelled ourselves from choppy target-achievement to hitting every quarter in this sales year.
In early 2018 I was promoted to Manager and now coach and lead 5 people across 4 functions within Sales Development; inbound, outbound, channel and sales operations. I've learnt about how a business scales to achieve sustainable success, how every team in a company is vital, and how culture is paramount.
O
O
Market Research ExecutiveOptimisa Research
- Leeds, United KingdomFull Time
Outbound calling to customers of banks like M&S Bank, Northern Rock and Co-Operative Bank as well as users of financial services within the Citizens Advice Bureau and the Stepchange charity. I called people at home and asked them about their thoughts on the customer service they'd had (in research conditions). I learnt how customers value trust, transparency, and clear processes as well as a bunch about mortgages, credit cards and how people get into debt! It was a really interesting and person-centric role.
+ Show more
Skills
- Business Development
- Team Leadership
- Coaching
- Applied Creativity
- Sales Management
- Sales Analysis
Education
L
L
BA (Hons) Art & Design (Interdisciplinary)Leeds College of Art and Design
- Leeds, United Kingdom
The foundation of my career to date; where I learnt how to respond to a brief, develop a concept, communicate verbally and visually, to push experimentation into innovation and handle failure. I loved architecture, spaces, and how people feel when they encounter these things. I equally loved the planning, pitching, and practicality that comes with design.