AiAllies – Kelly Archer, Valcon

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Kelly Archer, who hails from modest beginnings in Northern England, takes immense pride in her journey. Her career took flight at the tender age of 16 as an intern in an accountancy firm. Today, she holds a prestigious position as an Associate Partner at Valcon, a top-tier transformation consultancy firm in Europe.

Kelly’s accomplishments, especially her ability to give back to her family, fill her with immense pride. She fondly remembers the joy of buying her mother’s first computer and supporting her in her IT learning journey, which eventually led her mother to teach IT before her recent retirement.

Helping others brings Kelly immense satisfaction, a trait that shines through in her professional relationships with colleagues and large organizations across Europe. Her enthusiasm for the #AiAllies initiative from Teneo.ai is a testament to this. Through this initiative, Kelly shares her journey and insights, inspiring women to reach similar heights of success in the STEM fields.

The Journey to Becoming a Leader in Tech…

At the age of 16, Kelly was studying for her A-Levels but had the first taste of professional life while on work experience with an accountancy firm. However, the profession was quickly dismissed as a future pursuit, “It was a complete disaster,” she laughed.

“I got through two weeks of work in three days and was completely bored. I thought ´if this is boring now, it will be for the rest of my life,’ so I decided to turn down their offer of permanent employment and continue with my A-Levels.”

Upon the completion of her studies at college, university beckoned. A the first member of her family to move into higher education, the choices of what to study were all her own. “I was always good at problem solving and enjoyed working on puzzles,” she said. And so, mathematics was the chosen path.

Over the course of her studies, Kelly supported herself by having a number of part-time jobs.

“My dad was a lorry driver and my mum was looking after my two younger sisters while I studied, so I had to look after myself. And that was the deal when I finished university – I had to pack up and go home, or get out there and find something that was worth investing my time and energy into.”

But for somebody with the tenacity and talent to make mincemeat of an accounting firm at the age of 16, it didn’t take long for an opportunity to arrive.

Entering the Corporate World

“I spoke to a recruiter and discussed my objectives. And after giving it some consideration, he put me forward for a job at the Chartered Institute of Transport in London.”

AiAllies

In less than a year, Kelly had secured a senior position, supported a merger and taken ownership of the IT support team thanks to the SQL skills she had learned at university. But when the recruiter who had helped her secure the position came for a visit, it became clear Kelly needed a change.

“I was bored! And the recruiter knew that right away. He was invested in my success and saw the potential that I had so, I took an opportunity to move into a contract role. That was the beginning of my consulting and tech implementation career.”

After working on a number of contract roles, Kelly took the bold move to become a freelance consultant at the age of 24 and worked across a multitude of projects and industries for the following 13 years.

“It feels like such a young age now and maybe it was a bit naïve, but I felt confident in myself having enjoyed so much success early on.”

On Finding Her Passion

Over the course of her freelance consulting career, Kelly became known for turning around failing programs of change, especially in the public sector and projects that nobody else would touch.

“I worked across the NHS, which was incredibly rewarding as well as the education sector and with the British Transport Police, which was a fantastic organization. It was great to work in the public sector where everybody was involved in each project. I love working with people and making significant improvements to organizations, which in turn, improve people’s lives.”

kelly archer

“To be doing something for ´the greater good´ and to be part of teams that care about making the world a better, safer and more inclusive place, was incredibly rewarding and empowering.”

Now, having left her freelancing days behind her, Kelly works to transform the operations of some of the most recognized organizations in Europe in her role as Associate Partner for Valcon.

The Need for Greater Inclusion…

Despite her meteoric rise through the world of consultancy and tech, there have been many uncomfortable and difficult moments for Kelly to overcome.

“In one of my roles, I really felt out of place and felt uncomfortable the with ´bloke´ culture that permeated the office. People would go out at lunchtime and get hammered and it was all about being the loudest person in the room. I wanted to be involved with people on a personal and genuine level to make them feel enabled, not to be in a shouting match every day.”

“That was just one instance, but it’s a story many women are familiar with in a number of industries.”

“Looking around the tech sector and in the world of consultancy, there are so few women that hold senior positions. There is such a lack of diversity and you simply don’t see people with disabilities despite the fact that I spend the majority of my time sat behind a desk, speaking to people on a screen, which anyone could do.”

Businesses Need to Do More

“Considering the impact that COVID and technology have had on working expectations, there are less barriers than ever for women, and others who are less represented, across the tech sector.”

“Diversity doesn’t just happen,” Kelly said. “You have to work to create the culture every day.”

“We put a big effort into making Valcon an inclusive and open environment, because it really helps the business as well as the people who are less represented.”

Driving Change across the Tech Sector

When it comes to providing advice for other women working in the tech and consultancy sectors, Kelly highlights the importance of finding strong mentors and organizations that can help to support and develop the careers of women.

The Change Management Institute is strongly represented across the consultancy community and they have an inspiring group of people working there. For anybody interested in working in the tech or consultancy sector, I would highly recommend getting in touch.”

“Once again, the NLP training that I did early in my career was incredibly valuable in terms of helping me to present myself as an individual. I also learned to become a better leader by becoming a trainer. Ultimately our responsibility as a leader is to make other people successful.”

And looking at the consultancy and tech sector’s approach to improving diversity and inclusion, Kelly highlights the importance of engaging with educational organizations while also creating internal programs to support women and individuals from less represented backgrounds.

“Many of the companies I have worked with have made an effort to work with local schools and launch internship programs. I think businesses in the tech sector and in the world of consultancy should place a strong emphasis on providing opportunities for young women and those less represented.”

Valcon also supports a ´Women in Technology´ group, that offers young women the opportunity to secure short internships.

The Importance of Mentors…

Throughout Kelly’s two-decade-long career, several figures have played supportive roles. However, one individual distinctly stands out.

Kelly fondly recalls working with Kath Sheritt, a remarkable woman who transitioned from training individuals for civilian life in the air force to leading logistics at Strike Command Headquarters during the Gulf War. Their collaboration occurred while Kelly was assisting with a project in the education sector.

Kath imparted a crucial lesson to Kelly: the importance of maintaining one’s professional persona without compromising personal integrity in the workplace. She emphasized the need for confidence and self-belief when presenting ideas. Kath often placed Kelly in challenging situations, knowing they would foster her long-term growth. Consequently, Kelly became a trainer, undertook an NLP course, and learned to manage her emotions more constructively.

In the early stages of her career, Kelly often grappled with anxiety and nerves. Kath, however, reassured her that such feelings were common in the workplace. She encouraged Kelly to take walks or even shed tears if necessary, reinforcing that tears were not a sign of weakness but could be expressions of anger or frustration.

Advice for Other Women Entering the Field

“As I have got older and used those techniques even more, I feel that I have become closer to my authentic self, and I have also learned not to limit myself.”

“Before the age of 30, I had taken on a governor role at one of the largest further education organizations in the UK, secured my first directors’ position and finished my NVQ5 in strategic management at the Institute of Leadership and Management. I wouldn’t have been able to do that without the support of Kath.”

Kelly is eager to highlight this point, as she has no doubt that she would not be where she is today without the support of a multitude of people throughout her career.

“You need help to achieve what you want. So, make sure you reach out to those that inspire you and that you think can help elevate you.” If you would like to connect with Kelly on LinkedIn, click here.

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