A career in business operations and administration has afforded me some wonderful opportunities in a wide range of industries and companies. In 1981, I worked as an administrator in a Ford garage, managing the sales of new and used cars (and organising the salesmen team and their paperwork). I then joined the Royal Air Force as a Telecoms Operator, before being promoted to Telegraphist and then Te
lecoms Controller. During my nine years of service, I was posted all across the UK including in Bath, Kinloss and Locking and overseas including Cyprus and the Ascension Island. Many wonderful memories — and friendships — were created which I treasure to this day. After four years as a Communications Operator for Avon and Somerset Police, I joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1995 and headed straight for the bustle and excitement of London. This also gave me the opportunity to work in the Governor’s Office in Gibraltar. In the early 2000s, I honed my skills and experience in senior executive assistant positions for companies including Amey PLC, Partnerships for Schools and The Health Foundation, working alongside their Group Directors and Chief Executives. In 2007, I headed up the Corporate Services team at Augmentis, and after returning to The Health Foundation in an Executive Manager position, I then moved to Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity in the same role. Starting a business…
Around 2010, I had an idea – I wanted to start my own business. It stemmed from an experience at work I’d had many moons ago when I felt overwhelmed and underappreciated in one of my roles; it was very much a case of ‘if you want something done, give it to a busy person’ — and that busy person was always me! It struck me that if I had to work this hard, then I should work for myself. After all, I could draw upon a wealth of administration and operation experience gained in various industries — including private, public, construction and non-departmental public bodies. I also had a genuine love of finding order from chaos and helping others to feel in control. Despite a few hiccups, Virtual Angels was launched in May 2013 with my business partner at the time, Holly Thorne. Our very first discussion with a client went extremely well and they snapped us up! I’ve never looked back. In 2017, I became UK Head of Resources for Healthy.io, a healthcare company offering remote clinical testing and services enabled by smartphone technology, which I did alongside running Virtual Angels.
