1 What's the most surprising thing you’ve learned about Berkeley? 

The high level of referred work that the firm enjoys, often coming through existing clients or relationships. I think it’s testament to thinking long term; doing the right thing for clients as we deliver projects with them and knowing that the rest will sort itself out. 

2What's been your favourite piece of work and why? 

During the pandemic, I worked with NHS Test and Trace to support them in standing up and growing their COVID PCR testing capacity. I worked with Test and Trace for just under 2 years, starting as a Project Manager tasked with building lab capacity and finishing as the Chief of Staff for the Labs network. 

It was a perfect blend of challenging and impactful work and I enjoyed being able to operate in an area I normally wouldn’t, at a time of challenge for the UK. There was a real sense of shared cause and a hands-on approach, with private and public sector teams coming together to work through problems and deliver at pace and under pressure. I built some enduring friendships during my time on the programme and look back on it fondly, despite the challenging environment. 

3What are your values and how have they informed your career? 

I value hard work, honesty and kindness.  I like to think I roll my sleeves up and get stuck into most challenges and that if you work hard enough at a problem, you can usually crack it. 

I think it’s important to pair that with honest and simple communication and to operate in a way that feels human and gets the best out of those around you. At work I find often the soft skills are just as (or sometimes more!) important than the technical ones and the transformation is much harder to land if you can’t bring those around you in the journey