Fiona Galvin | Transport for London
I am a Senior Operating Officer for London Underground. I have a direct pivotal role in leading our response and resolution to real-time incidents across our network and those external parties affecting our services, whilst keeping our customers at the heart of everything we do. I work within the Incident Response and Command team in the London Underground Control Centre, responsible for leading and challenging the services we provide to our customers during our most severe and difficult real time incidents and events, to drive the network in real time to provide a World Class tube for a World Class City.
I have worked for London Underground for 15 years. I have worked my way up through the grades in front line operations, starting on Stations and was a Station Supervisor in various locations. I then became a Duty Manager Trains, working with Train Operators and managing incidents before becoming a Duty Reliability Manager on the Northern line. I became a Network Incident Response Manager in 2012 and worked closely with the British Transport Police managing incidents across the network before becoming a Senior Operating Officer in 2016 and perform the Gold Control function during formal incident management.
Imogen Thompson | Transport for London
Julia Knapp | Transport for London
I am an experienced practitioner in organisational change management.
At the start of my career I worked at the Australian National Audit Office while undertaking my double degree in Psychology and Commerce at the Australian National University. Once I had completed my studies, I took up a graduate position at KPMG before taking a year off to travel overseas. After travelling around Southeast Asia, I ended up in London where I worked at the London Audit Commission. This was a great experience as it taught me the importance of being dedicated to delivering quality work, believing in my ability to achieve results and taking opportunities when they presented themselves. When I returned to Australia, I worked at KPMG for two more years, before joining the Business Improvement Team at the Department of Education and Employment. One of my key roles was to design and facilitate workshops to develop strategies and improve processes. The team was a great success and was well regarded and respected across the department. It was at this time that I won the Chief Executive Women Scholarship to attend a Leadership Course at INSEAD in Singapore. The course was an essential step in my career where I learnt how to further develop my leadership skills while also having the opportunity to meet people from a variety of cultures around the world.
I decided to return to London to build upon my change management skills at a boutique change management firm, where I worked with a range of clients to manage change in complex programmes. Following this role I joined Transport for London and worked as a change and benefits manager on transformation projects.
I am passionate about working with organisations to ensure people are engaged in change programmes to realise the full value of organisational change.
Donna Harman | Transport for London
I grew up in a small leafy commuter town in Surrey and struggled at school more than my peers. I self funded myself through University studying Business and there I was diagnosed with dyslexia. From then, with the additional support Southampton Solent University provided at the time, my career direction started to take shape and my confidence in my abilities grew. Given my own background, I knew I wanted to help others professionally, and became an expert at giving career advice for friends and family so I looked for a trainee roles in Learning and Development.
I've also always had a motivating energy inside me which makes me want to go further and grasp experiences with both hands. From Southampton, I knew the bright lights of London were calling me, and I moved up on my own in 2005 and have been here since. From there, I started at Transport for London, then Metronet, in my perfect 'trainee' role.
Other than a two-year gap where I taught English abroad at worked at the fabulous Institute of Electrical Engineering, I have been at TfL since. It has been a great professional home for me and I have worked my way up and through departments to my current role - STARS Project Manager, which is a scheme to encourage young Londoners to travel safely, actively and sustainably.
I have had inspirational managers and mentors throughout my career who have really helped my build confidence and believe in me, and I am still in contact with all of them. Having a supportive manager is the one thing that helps when stress levels rise - now I am a manager, I like to think I show the same support.
I have had a varied and interesting career at TfL. From working in Learning and Development, I moved within HR to run graduate and apprentice programmes to get the best talent in and help train and develop future managers. I then through working with graduates, saw an opportunity to work in a creative role, so was seconded to a Communications Officer where I ran projects for London Buses and London Dial-a-Ride. Bringing both young people strategy and communications together, I applied for my current role - an opportunity to be seconded to what I feel is the most exciting job (including job title) in TfL - STARS Project Manager! This current role bring all of my experience together in a nice neat package, whilst still challenging me on a daily basis. And I feel it helps all London school children by building their and their parents confidence for them to travel safely around our city from a young age.
As a female, I grew up believing I could achieve whatever I put my mind to and my parents were loving and encouraging, despite me being the first in the family to go to University or move away from home. I believe anyone can do anything they put their mind to, if circumstances allow and if you let yourself be seen so someone catches that spark in you.
Suzanne France | Bloomberg
Based in London and focusing on the EMEA region, Suzanne is a Senior Events Planner within Bloomberg’s global marketing department. Working with senior internal stakeholders across multiple business units, including Sales, Suzanne delivers professional events which engage our clients, provide key solutions and promote the Bloomberg products, services and brand with the aim of assisting in the creation and progression of business opportunities.
In a multi-faceted role, Suzanne can be found working on a number of projects including, the production of thought leadership summits, branding/stand/studio presence at economic forums and tradeshows, design & implementation of event architecture as well as product launches and VIP lunches. She is a Function Champion and regularly works on department global calls to ensure that our regional voice is heard with regards to the introduction of new work-related tools.
As an experienced member of the group, Suzanne also uses the opportunity to mentor and provide guidance for younger members of the team. She also actively participates in mentoring events for young people, giving them an insight of working in a corporate environment and the potential opportunities available.
Suzanne is the Marketing and Communications Pillar lead in the EMEA Bloomberg Black Professional Community Group, a group that falls under the Diversity & Inclusion umbrella at Bloomberg.
Suzanne holds a BA (Hons) in Marketing.
Megan Key | Ministry of Justice
Lauren Bottomley | Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
I left school at 14 with no GSCE’s due to a bit of a rough family situation. I moved out at 15 and had around 14 different jobs from waitress to groom to sales person by the time I was 19. I then decided I wanted to do something more with my life and decided to follow in my Dad’s footsteps who’d had a very fulfilling if very challenging career as a Mental Health nurse. As much as he was supportive he explained the many challenges of working in the Public Sector, but I was excited to help people and build a career I could truly be proud of.
I am now a 26 yro, working and living within London. I qualified as a mental health nurse in 2013 and have been working with adolescents with additional and complex needs since. I thoroughly enjoy working with children and young adults and am extremely dedicated to my role as a mental health nurse.
I got promoted to Band 6 after just 14 months of being qualified (typically takes 3-5 years) and have been approached about Band 7 roles (Can take 10 years+ for some). I’m so proud of this given my bumpy start.
I have a very large family (I am one of 8 children) and, despite this, I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my family in my free time. I love travelling to new places, meeting new people and generally exploring the world we live in.
Annette Henley | Home Office
She is currently leading on the development of airborne mobile communications services as part of the role out of the ESN (Emergency Services Network) and the development of the technical fit of ESN for emergency services aircraft.She originally joined the Civil Service as a graduate trainee engineer in September 1990 at the Radiocommunications Agency (forerunner of Ofcom) and has recently received a Civil Service long service award. In the early part of her career she was responsible for the spectrum management of mobile radio services for private business applications and was responsible for the architecture of the regulatory structure that has allowed the development of licence free use of WiFi.She has been working on emergency services communications since October 2005 and is really passionate about the opportunity to design technology that really matters.
Her involvement in mental health, staff wellbeing and welfare stems from personal experience in 2012. She is the chair of the Home Office London Mental Health buddy group, a founder member of Break the Stigma at 2 Marsham Street and a Mental Health First Aider. She also chairs the Home Office Big White Wall steering group. Introducing Big White Wall as a staff support across the Home Office was her original idea.
Jennifer Morris | Barts Health NHS Trust
After four years of fertility research at the University of Birmingham I decided to hang up my lab coat in search of a more significant role in improving healthcare services. In 2013, whilst completing my thesis, I started my NHS career on the Graduate Management Training Scheme (GMTS). For two years I explored a range of different operational and strategic roles, locally and nationally with the aim of improving the delivery of healthcare services for current and future generations. Highlights include working at the Cabinet Office, with the radiology and pharmacy departments at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust to improve patient experience and flow through the hospital; and South Worcestershire CCG to improve the transfer of patients between hospitals, community providers and care homes.
Upon completion of the GMTS, I joined NHS England’s strategy team working with NHS providers, commissioners and industry to trial innovations as part of the Test Beds programme. A Five Year Forward View initiative, I expected that my greatest achievement would be the discovery of a new digital technology. However, here I learnt the skills required to unite diverse teams over a common shared goal; improving patient experience and outcomes.
Recently, I joined Barts Health NHS Trust to lead on the surgical component of the Transforming services together programme. Here my enthusiasm, adaptability and commitment are required to turn clinician’s visions for providing the best quality care for their patients into practice. Together my collective experience has strengthened my passion for improving patient care and ensuring a sustainable NHS.
In addition to my role I take an active interest in the development of future NHS leaders, mentoring GMTS trainees and actively participating in opportunities to promote careers within the NHS. In my spare time I attempt to bake masterpieces that I inflict on all!
Joanna Ludlam | Carillion Plc
In November 2014, I started my career in FM with Carillion Services on their Graduate scheme. After 2 years of exploring the business, in 5 different roles I chose my career as a Change Manager and was lucky enough to be offered the job I absolutely wanted.
I love being a Change Manager, because it is all about people. It’s about taking people on a journey through a period of change, which can sometimes be exciting, and sometimes be unsettling and it’s my job to ensure that journey is as positive as can be.
The FM industry is ever changing and evolving, and we’re always encouraged to look for ways to improve our business. Alongside my day job, I’m also involved in a return to work project, looking at how we can improve the way we re-induct and continue to engage with people that return to work for us from a period of leave, whether it be Maternity, Paternity, Long Term Sick or a Sabbatical. I believe this will enhance our ability to attract and retain great talent within the industry.
I really enjoy being a mentor to our new graduate cohort. It’s great to be able to offer support and advice, plus share my experience of the scheme. I’d like to expand my mentoring to outside of my workplace and share my experience with secondary school girls who may be thinking about a career in business.
Running keeps me busy during my spare time and I am part of a local running club. Running is great for exercise, but I also use it as a tool to alleviate stress. It is really important to recognise stress in the workplace, and I actively encourage my colleagues to talk about stress and how it can be managed.