» The best piece of advice I have ever been given is “ don ’ t compare yourself to others ”. Everyone is unique and each person in life brings something to the table , whether it ’ s a glass full of wine or a coaster to put it on . We often dwell on the highlights of other people ’ s lives and jobs , and that can be toxic . So always focus on your strengths , celebrate other people and learn to compete with yourself instead of others .

» I tend to read two books at the same time – one fiction , so I can switch my mind off , and the other usually travel-related as I ’ ve invariably got a trip in the pipeline . The last book I read was Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty . I love her books as she takes you on a journey and you can never predict the ending . I ’ m also reading a book about Scotland , as I ’ m going on a road trip there with my dad next month .

» My beloved laptop . It gives me access to the tools to do my job efficiently anywhere in the world , which is really important to me as I split my time between four locations – London , the Yorkshire Dales , Suffolk and Madrid . As companies move to a more flexible , hybrid work model , equipping employees with a great laptop is key .

» In 2019 , I was fortunate to meet Tony Russell , Charles Taylor ’ s former Chief Commercial Officer , who over a coffee gave me some homework to think about my future . I wasn ’ t even looking for a job at the time , but he ended up recruiting me . The mutual friends who introduced us knew we would hit it off , predicting something great would materialise for both of us . They were right . Tony had a vision for me in a brand new role at Charles Taylor , helping on a big programme of work that I knew nothing about at the time , and things evolved from there . It was the best career decision I have made .

“ People are starting to learn that technology alone is not enough of a differentiator to attract clients , even though it ’ s a key ingredient ”