Gemma Hedley joined Informed Solutions after taking a break from her career in a marketing agency in Manchester to start a family. Although the change in career has been challenging, her new role as a member of the Corporate Administration Group has proven to be incredibly rewarding and well-suited to her needs as a working parent.
Here Gemma talks about how her transition into a different role opened her up to exciting opportunities, learning experiences and a new level of self-confidence.
Returning to Work in a New Role
I started my Informed journey shortly after returning to work following the birth of my second child. Navigating the change and challenges of becoming a mother of two, I decided to explore roles in different industries and was open to considering a different career path. Initially, I was apprehensive about finding a role that would suit my work-life requirements. What I’ve experienced is something that has truly surpassed my expectations.
Having left a global marketing and consultancy company as Head of Client Activation, I had little knowledge of the tech industry or the specific requirements of being part of an internal Corporate Administration Group as ‘Front of House’. My expectations were perhaps in line with the stereotypical concept of what I’d thought an admin job would be. The reality, however, is that my strengths have been utilised, opportunities have become available, and my career path is continually evolving.
Exceeding Expectations
Since joining Informed nearly two years ago, I have been lucky enough to play an integral part in the planning and successful delivery of numerous milestone events. Although I had no previous experience in professional event planning, the execution of organising and managing such projects played to my natural systematic and process-focused approach and method of working.
Informed continues to have a varied and exciting social calendar, including multiple company-wide events to celebrate its successes. My involvement started with the company’s 30th Anniversary events at the Sky Gardens in London, Hotel Gotham in Manchester, and the Casablanca Club at the Hotel of Gods in Edinburgh. These outstanding events required such attention to detail, that at times it made us wonder whether what we were trying to achieve was even possible. The feedback we received, however, reaffirmed that they had been expertly executed and will be remembered fondly for many years to come.
More recently I have been given the opportunity to work closely with our Global CEO, Elizabeth Vega. Working alongside such an influential woman and leader in tech has provided me with new insights and opportunities to learn about the industry and how Informed Solutions continues to innovate and be successful.
Continuous Development
My path at Informed is constantly developing. Currently, I am heavily involved in the Office Expansion Project at our Altrincham HQ as part of the Management Board, providing oversight of its budget, delivery, and project management. Having exposure to this huge project and being able to contribute to it significantly has allowed me to gain experience across multiple areas of the business and to obtain insight into the management of such a monumental plan.
Learning and development opportunities are a regular topic of conversation during check-ins with my Line Manager and in my annual appraisal. These touch points have personally helped me to continually self-reflect and identify aspects of my role that I want to explore further.
There are many internal and external learning resources available at Informed. InformedACADEMY® – Informed’s world class learning and development framework, has been a hugely beneficial tool for skill reflection and development, whilst enrolling on an upcoming Project Management training course will allow me to gain in-depth knowledge of the tools and techniques used within projects to achieve personal, team, and business goals.
Feeling Valued
Returning to work after maternity or any kind of parental leave is often a challenging and guilt-inducing time for parents. Getting the work-life balance right can be difficult to navigate as you juggle the demands of being a parent, whilst still wanting to succeed in your career. However, from my experience at Informed, choosing part-time and flexible work no longer means sacrificing your career development.
As a working mother, I feel extremely lucky to be part of a team and company that provides such a supportive environment. Informed has successfully created a safe space where I can comfortably switch off from being ‘mummy’, and fully immerse myself into a job that is intellectually stimulating, rewarding and ultimately supportive of my career growth.
To conclude, it doesn’t matter what your background is, what stage you are at in life or where you are in your career journey. If you are in a workplace where you are supported and given the opportunity to self-reflect and work with colleagues to help you shape a career around mutually beneficial goals, then anything can happen.
