When did you leave Chesterton Community College?

I left CCC in 2013.

What is your current job title or field?

I work in Operations within the field of Sustainable Finance.

Did you know as a teenager which career you wanted to pursue or did you come to realise this later on?

I never imagined I’d find myself in company operations while at Chesterton! I always thought I’d pursue a career as a primary school teacher or work with children in some way. But after graduating from university and moving to London, my plans took a different turn. It just goes to show—you don’t need to have your entire future mapped out while you’re still in school. You never know where life might take you!

How did you start on your career?

I found my way into operations largely by chance. After graduating from university, I took on a role at a company supporting children with special educational needs (SEN) in an operations capacity. That’s where I discovered my passion for streamlining internal processes and automation. From there, I moved to a much larger organisation, leading operational initiatives for an NGO in Sustainable Finance.

What do you like about your job? High points?

I’m fortunate to be in a role where I can make a meaningful impact on society, particularly within the investment space. I work for a company with a strong mission dedicated to funding long-term sustainable initiatives, which makes my work both fulfilling and purpose-driven.

What is the first advice you would give a student wanting to follow in this direction?

If you’re considering a career in operations, I’d highly recommend developing strong organisational, communication, and problem-solving skills. Success in this field requires being a team player, enjoying problem-solving, and getting to the root cause of issues. Proactively improving processes is key, as is asking simple but important questions like “why?” and “why not?”