CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?
My father was in the armed forces, and I followed him around the world for 20 years before meeting my husband, and then settling in Bassingbourn, England, with our two children. I have been lucky enough to experience various cultures, visit lots of different countries, and make some amazing friends. During my younger years I went to boarding school which taught me to be tolerant and respectful and, yes, it was like Hogwarts! In my spare time I enjoy supporting my boys play football for their local teams, making jewellery, and I’m also a bit of a petrol head!
“If you want a supportive, collaborative, and challenging place to work, then this is the place for you!”
WHAT COULD A DAY AT GÉANT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
My job role is divided in two. Three days a week I am a Team Leader for the Central Admin Team in both the Amsterdam and Cambridge offices, and the other two days I am an HR Officer looking after benefits and payroll. It’s a very varied role. I can be in Amsterdam one week assessing the office layout, and the next week reviewing the benefits we have in place in Cambridge, and making suggestions for improving them.
HAS THE FLEXIBLE WORKING ENVIRONMENT PROVED USEFUL FOR YOU AND HOW?
GÉANT has always provided a very flexible working environment and I know that, if I need to, I can drop everything and be with whoever needs me. GÉANT understands that family is important. During COVID I was home-schooling my eldest in his GCSE year, which was particularly challenging, however, GÉANT was amazing in allowing me to flex my hours so I could help my boys and still get the payroll done each month!
FOR YOU, WHAT MAKES GÉANT DIFFERENT TO OTHER COMPANIES?
The employees. They work for the company because they believe in making the world a better place. For me, there is nothing better than recruiting someone and seeing them grow in the organisation, it’s very rewarding. We are a rare bunch of people and that’s why I’ve been here for so long!HOW ARE THE GÉANT VALUES REPRESENTED IN THE WORKPLACE? WHY ARE THE VALUES IMPORTANT TO YOU?
Our values are the core of our business, and they guide us to be the best person we can within GÉANT. I feel that the values help us focus on what we need to do within our roles.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE FAMILY LIFE WITH WORK?
When I joined GÉANT in 2012 my youngest child was only a toddler, but now both my boys are teenagers! Initially I worked part-time until my youngest started senior school, which helped balance my work life and family life. I am also very lucky to have a supportive family who I can rely on for childcare.
WHAT IS THE BEST PART ABOUT WORKING AT GÉANT?
It’s lovely having people around you that understand your commitments as a working parent, and that you need time off in the school holidays!WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE EVENT SINCE JOINING GÉANT?
Our company 'all-hands' event held at Luton Hoo in 2022 was just amazing. Getting everyone back together after the lock-down, and seeing people laughing after a tough couple of years was really rewarding, and reminded us all what we love about the organisation. I really enjoy organising social events throughout the year. It’s good to take staff away from the office so they can let off some steam and catch up outside of work.WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO SOMEONE WONDERING IF GÉANT LIFE IS FOR THEM?
You’ll never work for anywhere else that’s like us! If you want a supportive, collaborative, and challenging place to work, then this is the place for you!
ABOUT SUZI
Suzi graduated in 1996 with a BSc. (Hons) in Computing for European Business. After studying a module in human resources, Suzi realised that she was better with people than she was with computers! Suzi went on to join an IT company as a member of the HR team and she grew from there.Life @ GÉANT
