I have had what most people would politely call a non-linear career. Telecoms, marketing director of a national consultancy, oncology sister in the NHS, freelance events and marketing, primary classroom teacher, and now your councillor. Each chapter has taught me something I now bring to the council chamber. How to run a budget. How to lead a team under pressure. How to listen properly. How to deliver when the deadline is non-negotiable.
My story so far
Business and marketing
I started out in telecoms, working on global infrastructure projects, before moving into account management for a marketing agency. By my late twenties I was Sales and Marketing Director of a national consultancy, leading strategic planning, branding, and business development. I hold a first class BA (Hons) in European Marketing.
Later I ran my own freelance marketing and event management business for around six years, looking after everything from social media and content production to large scale corporate events for clients ranging from SMEs to global brands. I won industry recognition for both the creative work and the event production.
Nursing in the NHS
In my early thirties I retrained as a nurse and completed a first class BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing. I went on to spend five years as an Oncology and Haematology Sister, managing a busy city chemotherapy unit. I won a scholarship to study clinical oncology at master’s level, and led the development and launch of the UK’s first Zometa clinic for the management of multiple myeloma.
Five years on the front line of cancer care teaches you things you cannot learn anywhere else. How to make a decision quickly with incomplete information. How to advocate for someone who cannot advocate for themselves. How to build trust with strangers in the worst week of their life.
Teaching
More recently I have been in primary classrooms. As a TeachFirst Ambassador I completed the two year leadership PGDE and went on to become Head of Science and a curriculum development lead. From there I worked as a supply teacher across inner city primary schools, taking on classes from Key Stage 1 through to Year 6 SATs, including children with complex SEND and English as an additional language.
My most recent classroom role has been a Year 5 teacher on a fixed term contract. Teaching has made me an even better listener, and far less willing to put up with excuses dressed up as policy.
What I bring to the council
Three threads run through everything I have done.
- Strategic management. Budgets, plans, KPIs, measurable outcomes, whether that is a marketing campaign, a chemotherapy unit, or a school curriculum.
- Empathetic communication. I have worked with cancer patients, frightened Year 6s, irate clients, deprived communities, and global boardrooms. I listen first.
- Operational excellence. Things actually getting done, on time, to standard. Not announcements. Delivery.
That is the lens I bring to Redditch Borough Council. Residents of Greenlands and Lakeside do not need more press releases or inter departmental memos. They need their potholes fixed, their streets lit, their concerns answered, and their councillors actually fighting for them.
On the campaign trail
Qualifications
- TeachFirst PGDE
- Level 7 in Leadership
- BSc (Hons) Nursing, 1st
- BA (Hons) Marketing, 1st
Outside the council
Away from teaching and the chamber, I am happiest with a sketchbook (illustration is a long time love), a bicycle, or a long weekend exploring somewhere with history attached. Barcelona is a particular favourite. I am also a serial CPD completer and find it impossible to stop learning new things, a habit that has served every chapter of this career well.