Colleague Stories

Growth mindset to career peaks

What’s your Virgin Money story? 

I began working at Virgin Money almost 10 years ago as a cashier in a city centre branch. Virgin Money then supported me through my CeMap exams, and I progressed into a role within Mortgage Processing. This role involved supporting our Business Development Managers, answering questions about our mortgages, and ensuring they had everything at their fingertips to help our customers make that dream house purchase.  I then moved into HR, recruiting for all our branches across the UK. It really helped that I had first hand experience of working in branches and could understand things from both candidate and hiring manager perspectives.
From there, I moved into my current team as an Operational Excellence Specialist. I have worked within this team for nearly four years and recently stepped up to lead the team on a secondment. This role has enabled me to work with leaders across multiple areas, which has been great for building my network.

While working in this role, Virgin Money has supported my learning further.  I now attend Northumbria University once a week as a part-time apprentice, studying Business Management & Leadership Practice. This has boosted my confidence in my abilities and was key to me stepping up to lead the team.

I’m grateful to Virgin Money for giving me the opportunity to study and work part-time while also leading a team. Yes, it’s a juggling act at times, but it’s great to work for a company that understands the importance of enabling colleagues to balance both their personal and professional lives. If it wasn’t for Virgin Money, I wouldn’t have thought about stepping into university at the age of 40 to undertake a degree. It has certainly added a new dimension to my life, I’ve met some great people who work in business across the Northeast, and it has given me back my love of learning.   

When are you happiest? 

That's a tough question! I love exploring and pushing myself to the limits while spending time with my husband. Last year, we hiked the Balkans 3 Peaks, conquering the highest peaks across Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro. It's hard work, especially when I’m afraid of heights, but the feeling of fulfilment and accomplishment is second to none. Having a purpose is important to my happiness, which is why I love working for Virgin Money, where our purpose really drives me to achieve.

What does the perfect work day look / feel like for you? 

My perfect day centres on our customers, my stakeholders, my team, and ensuring I’m embracing a growth mindset. 
I work from home and my dogs keep me company in my home office, they also help me step away from my desk at lunchtime to get some much-needed fresh air and a short walk to boost my energy levels for the afternoon. I meet with my team virtually for a huddle every morning to understand what strategic projects they are working on, any support they might need, or any challenges they might be facing. I then have a few project stand-ups to meet with wider stakeholders to understand what support my team can provide and what we are doing to impact our customers.

As part of my Apprenticeship, it’s important that I can link what I am studying at University into my day job and vice versa and I’m always looking to implement my learnings, meet other new leaders and build my knowledge.
As an Operational Excellence team, we have many rhythms and routines built into our structure to ensure high performance. These routines make my day great, from monthly retrospectives to identify areas for improvement, one-on-ones to support my team, engaging in team learning, to planning our next in-person collaboration days. We are always evolving, constantly seeking ways to be even better.

What’s something you’re passionate about outside of work? 

I live for my holidays with my husband, exploring new countries, and planning new adventures. Later this year, we are exploring the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia by train. I like to think I will feel like I am on Race Around the World, just without the prize money!