My first job after university was as an admin officer for the Forestry Commission. I knew I didn’t want to go straight into HR but really liked the idea of being a trainer after a course I had taken. After another admin job with Abbey National, an entry-level trainer position came up at NTL. It was a big first role, covering 2,000 people in a call centre in Swansea.

Three things have had a big impact on my career. The first was getting into training. The second was when my team at Pipex won a National Training Award. Despite a small budget we really added value and it was great to have that recognised. The third was becoming head of training and quality at Arvato – it is satisfying to lead a department for a big organisation 400 staff-strong.