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Women in Leadership
Name: Lorraine
Role: School Business Manager and Trust Facilities Lead
What is it like working in your company?
No two days are the same. It is very varied and exciting with the added bonus of working in a school and watching children from the age of 3 progress through the school to Sixth Form. I find my work rewarding as I know everything that I do and every decision I make contributes to a better education for the children in school and across the trust.
Why did you decide to go into your chosen field?
I used to work in language schools and loved working with young people. I was unfortunately made redundant from my last job as a Principal of an English Language School, but when looking for a new job I knew it had to be in Education as that was my passion. I loved the variety of roles in education and wanted to use my operational background to lead a team in a school.
What qualifications and work experience did you need to reach your current position?
I would say I have my current position based upon my experience in my previous roles. Completing my degree in German and Tourism Management I was accepted onto the Boots retail management Graduate programme, where I worked for 3.5 years and managed 3 different Boots stores in my time. This taught me the importance of managing a team, trained me in important HR issues and I also learnt how to budget and forecast.
Next I took a career change and trained to become an English Language teacher and took up a position in an English Language school as the school administrator. I learnt a lot about the industry and was asked to cover the school Principal on maternity leave. This led me to three other roles as a school Principal in Oxford, Cambridge and London.
I have had to learn key management skills on the job which has helped me considerably in my current position.
What do you enjoy the most about your job?
Managing a team and getting to know each person individually, then making sure we all work together and support one another.
What obstacles have you overcome in your career?
When I worked at Boots as a store Manager, I was 24 and several staff felt that I was too young to be telling them how to carry out their jobs. I spent a lot of time in all my roles getting to know my team first and gaining their respect and trust.
Why do you think it is important to have a strong female representation in your industry?
To show girls and young women we can have important roles in the companies we work for and that we have the right to be paid fairly and treated equally as men. We are strong and independent women who can have the careers we work hard for.
What advice would you give those wanting to take a similar career path?
Gain experience through doing the job. I learnt so much by getting stuck in, don’t be afraid to make mistakes it’s the best way to learn. Always get to know your team first, both in the work environment and understand them personally. Get them on board and they will support you in all that you do.
