IoD Jersey

Interviews

You were born in Scotland but moved to Jersey at a very young age—how did growing up in the island shape your early ambitions and interests?: Growing up in Jersey was a safe launchpad, but it was exploring the wider working world that sparked my passion for employee culture and pay equity. I am now glad I get to bring that experience back to Jersey through the work we do at MyAnova.

After finishing school at JCG, you made a big leap by moving to Australia at 18. What motivated that move, and how did it influence your personal and professional journey?: Being honest, I was going to study English and had a place at Edinburgh university, and I couldn’t imagine reading Shakespeare in the rain! When I researched Melbourne University’s blended model of learning, it really appealed to me. This led me to study Business and Psychology as well as English, which ended up being my profession, so it had a huge impact on where I’ve ended up.

You’ve worked in a variety of roles from F&B Supervisor to Receptionist to HR Advisor. How did these early experiences help build the foundations for a career in organisational psychology and consulting?: I feel everyone should do a stint in hospitality at some point in their lives as it teaches such valuable skills about how to treat people. It also reinforces the importance of colleagues and community in your resilience and enjoyment of work. These experiences instilled a strong sense of wanting to understand how to make the working experience better for people. This is what led me to business psychology and my future career in consulting.

The key workplace challenge I'm most passionate about addressing for Jersey has to be the gender pay gap for me and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion on an Island that is always hunting for top talent.

Your time in Melbourne was packed with both work and study, including a Master of Psychology at Deakin University. What drew you to industrial and organisational psychology specifically?: Psychology is about helping and understanding human behaviour/motivation. It’s about applying science to improve someone’s life. I had a strong sense of wanting to improve that experience for people because we spend so much of our lives at work. A good grade in the subject early on also helped!

From placements at Deloitte to work with The 100% Project and teaching at Deakin, you built up a broad skillset. What was the most pivotal experience during your time in Australia that still shapes your approach today?: The 100% project was a charity I worked with to try and get more women in leadership, and subsequently, “more time at home for men”. I wrote a research paper with them called “Breaking Dad” which was about what psychological barriers prevent men from requesting family friendly policies. Understanding these psychological factors helps me break down why some gender pay gaps exist, even in my work today.

When you returned to Jersey, you worked with the Government and later with Marbral Advisory. How did these roles prepare you for launching your own venture, My Anova?: Public sector is great for learning detailed project governance and I still set up strategic projects using the methods that I learnt there. Marbral was my re-entry to the consultancy world in Jersey and gave me the platform to have the career I have today. Network is everything and if it weren’t for Marbral, I don’t know that I would have had the encouragement or confidence to be where I am today.

People remember how you make them feel, not what you said. If I can achieve an emotional reaction with my content, be that through humour, relatable-ness, or interesting facts, then it’s been worth doing.

The Channel Islands Wellbeing Report was a key project. What insights from that research surprised you most, and how have they influenced your thinking as a co-founder and consultant?: It really drove home how crucial that type of data can be in making key people decisions. The work that we do with MyAnova surveys can literally shape people strategy for the following year, and I have seen many companies that do it this way. Being led by employee feedback really helps to shape a people-first culture and what surprised me was the impact it can have when you act with intention.

Congratulations on winning the IoD Jersey Director of the Year Award in the Start-Up category! What did that recognition mean to you?: Thank you! I was overjoyed to win that award and really didn’t expect it as it’s such a prestigious category. It can be lonely in start-up world, so it was amazing to be recognised by the community. Hands down one of my career highlights.

As a member of the IoD Jersey People Leadership & Strategy Sub-Committee, what are the key workplace challenges or opportunities you're most passionate about addressing for Jersey?: It absolutely has to be the gender pay gap for me and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion on an Island that is always hunting for top talent. Working with Government recently to produce a pay gap reporting framework for the Island has been very meaningful and I consult with a lot of local businesses about what this means for them and how to use pay gap data effectively.

With the 'Work in Real Life' podcast and your blogging on topics like “100shitvideos,” you clearly value authenticity. How do these creative outlets support or complement your professional mission?: Personal brand is a huge part of being a product founder – as they say, people don’t buy things, they buy people. I believe being authentic helps people to engage with not just my brand but the product’s brand. It is because of these types of creative outlets that we attract brands and businesses whose values really align with our mission – to authentically make the working experience better for people through data driven insights. Another saying I live by to round the interview off: People remember how you make them feel, not what you said. If I can achieve an emotional reaction with my content, be that through humour, relatable-ness, or interesting facts, then it’s been worth doing.

All interviews