Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at Ivanti?

KW: I have lived in my home town of Warrington all my life and I am a northern girl through and through.  I am married and we have a 22-year-old son of whom we are super proud.  He is currently living and working in Australia and whilst we miss him greatly, we love not being woken up in the middle of the night when he comes home, and the house being tidy is bliss!  We also have two miniature schnauzers who are spoilt rotten.

I have been with Ivanti for five years and am currently the Senior Director HR, International.  I came over as part of the AppSense acquisition  three years ago, and as Ivanti has grown, so has my role.  From originally having a team of two and covering a few EMEA countries, my role now spans our geos in EMEA and APAC.  I have an awesome team of 21 who have tons of experience covering employee relations and talent acquisition. I am also involved in many of our global projects and initiatives and love the variety, flexibility, and ownership that I have in my role.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

KW: This is slightly embarrassing, but when I was really young, I wanted to be an ice cream lady, just so I could eat all the ice-creams!  When I was a little older, I wanted to be a teacher.  I guess my current role isn’t too dissimilar as a big part of my role is to guide, advise, support, and educate.  

What are you working on right now?

KW: There are a number of projects within employee relations and talent acquisition that I am working on that are really interesting and will help to shape Ivanti in the future

What three words would you use to describe Ivanti?

KW: Exciting , creative, and rewarding!

Why should people consider a career at Ivanti?

KW: There are so many opportunities within Ivanti, and no one day is ever the same.  We are invested in development and really care about our employees and our community.  Our VTO (volunteer time off), launched early in the year, has brought the company together to make a difference. Ivanti is like a family, and whilst we work hard, we also have great social activities, work flexibility, and great rewards. Oh, and  cake. Lots of cake.  We love our cake in Daresbury! 

What advice do you have for companies as they strive to improve equality and inclusion?   

KW: Great question!  My advice is to:

1) Embrace and respect different cultures and promote diversity. We don't have a set culture at Ivanti as we have so many different  offices across the world, and each office is respected for their differences. We empower our leaders to influence and build the culture through their own behaviour.  

2) Give employees a voice and listen.  We hold regular employee engagement surveys and are transparent about where are doing well and where we need to develop.

3) Be visible and develop an open environment where employees have an opportunity to be creative. Our Ivanti executives are approachable and visible and are open to feedback.  We have regular “hackathons” where everyone is invited to be creative and put forward new ideas.

4) Ensure you create an environment where it’s ok to be different and it's ok to make mistakes.  At Ivanti we are like a family.  We have cross-functional, diverse teams that work together, collaborate on ideas, and support and encourage each other. 

5) Ensure that your processes and policies are fair and inclusive. As an equal opportunities employer, we use inclusive language in our policies and job adverts and ensure fairness and transparency in our processes and procedures. 

6) Promote flexible working to encourage a diverse, engaged work force.  We offer flexibility to our teams and ensure we are inclusive so as not to exclude certain groups.  For example, we have a fantastic Women in Tech group at Ivanti that promotes a diversity and encourages more women to be involved in Tech.  

What are you reading right now?

KW: I love reading anything that is a crime thriller, mystery, or legal based—all fiction. Some of my favourite authors are Lee Childs, Tom Clancy, Clifford Irving, and David Baldacci.  I am currently reading the second in a series of books titled The Enemy by Rob Sinclair.

What else would you like to share with our readers?

KW: If you are ambitious and want to join a forward-thinking, successful, fast-paced company where you can develop and grow and work with awesome people (and eat cake if you’re in Daresbury), then Ivanti is the place for you.