It is extraordinary to think that the opportunities provided to me have meant that I have spent all my working life to date with one employer.
I started at Epsom & Ewell High School, the first school to form part of Bourne Education Trust, in 2005 as an IT technician; having previously been a pupil at the school. Little did I think then that I would end up in a 20 plus school multi-academy trust as Director of IT.
IT is often the area that other colleagues feel less confident about, yet is vital for them to perform their roles effectively and can cause panic when it goes wrong. From my first job I learnt that keeping calm when confronted with problems has helped those around me and supported me in effective problem solving.
Bourne Education Trust has offered me many opportunities and I have always been willing to take them up. I know that the Trust has confidence in me to put in the effort to be successful and that in turn the Trust will enable me to develop and achieve. I have been lucky to be valued by those around me and be part of a team that works hard together for the same goals and to improve and keep standards high.
I enjoy leading the IT team in the Trust. I hope they feel that I not only work hard to support their personal development but also to ensure the success of the team. We work in an ever-changing area: the challenges of fraud and cyber-attacks grow but so do the opportunities from Artificial Intelligence to have a positive impact on the young people who attend our schools and on our staff.
I look forward to seeing where we will go next as a Trust: there is never a dull day!