What is your current role, and how long have you been with Direct Line Global?
I am a sales operations manager and have been with DL since March 2022. My role is to partner with the commercial, finance, estimating, operations, RSG, and executive teams. I handle the non-selling processes and tasks inherent in the sales process, to provide visibility and predictable revenue forecasts to support the investment strategies of DL.
What does a typical day look like for you working at Direct Line Global? Elaborate your daily routine.
I usually start my day with coffee and then spend some time feeding my 13-year-old cat. Then, I will start checking and responding to emails. Mornings are generally packed with meetings, and I like to block off a couple of hours in the afternoons to focus on analysis and my prepared reports. After work, I try to go to the gym or walk in the neighborhood with a friend, and I enjoy cooking for friends when I have time.
What would you like to say to someone interested in applying at Direct Line?
I would say the company has a great corporate culture, and the executive team is very supportive.
What kind of education and/or training did your career require? How do you achieve success in your role?
I have my MBA, but I don’t think formal education was necessarily key to my career. I generally tell my kids that the work experiences and testimonies from the people I worked with throughout my career helped me to get to where I am today, so it’s important to foster those relationships in any role.
Tell us about your career path in Direct Line.
I have only been at the company for a little more than 2 years but have been given increasing responsibilities and oversight since I joined.
What do you love most about what you do?
I really enjoy the people that I work with. I am grateful for the autonomy that the management team has given me to set up and run the sales operations in DL – I feel like I’ve been able to bring my prior experience to the company and formalize some of our processes while also learning and benefiting from the team around me.
What are your interests outside of work?
Gardening and hiking – I live in the Bay Area, so I love to go outside whenever possible.
Tell us a surprising or fun fact about you.
My undergraduate degree was in Applied Biology, where my research thesis was on natural food coloring, so my first job out of undergrad was at Lee Kum Kee in Hong Kong, where I worked on developing new sauces. I still love seeing what the company produces when I am in the Asian market today.
If you could give one career advice, what would it be?
Wherever you go, I would say you should always try to learn from those around you, and you should be open to having more responsibilities that allow you to grow beyond what you are capable of when you start, even if they are not in your job description.
