Tell us a bit about your background?
I was born in a small town called Haslemere in the south of England. When I was 21, I had the opportunity to move to Switzerland where I first discovered the world outside of England and my passion for travel and exploring was born!

Whilst working as the country manager for Pomeroy/HP Data Center Operations, I started my own web design company (so, therefore, know first-hand the difficulties of finding affordable Developers!). It was during a holiday in the Philippines, that I was introduced to the Cloud Employee Founder.

How did you end up joining the Cloud Employee team?
When they told me about Cloud Employees business model, I just knew instantly that I wanted to be a part of it. I saw how it was a unique and boutique solution for startups/small business and loved that it gives them a chance to grow and compete with larger corporations. I knew it had the potential to completely change the whole outsourcing industry. Having previously worked in recruitment, the IT industry and owning a startup, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to put my skills and passion into action as well the opportunity to be a part of something I really believed in.

You are Operations Manager of the Manila office, talk us through your average day.
Working for a fast growing business means that there is always a lot to do. From finding, meeting and interviewing applicants, speaking with companies that are interested in hiring a Cloud Employee down to setting up a new workstation, there is never a quiet moment in my day!

Part of my job is to manage the Cloud Employees so my day might involve organizing some extra equipment or holding a review, but because we only employ people that are passionate about their work (and have passed our personality test!) there are never any issues to deal with. Someone once said ‘Spend 80% of your time hiring, so you only have to spend 20% of your time managing’ and that is something we strongly believe in.

We also believe that if you take care of your staff, they’ll take care of your business so I’m here make sure everyone is as happy as they can be. Everyone feels privileged to be here so the atmosphere in the office is great and unlike anywhere I have worked before.

What do you love about living in the Philippines and what do you like to get up to on weekends?
I love the people, the culture and especially the weather! The Philippines isn’t like anywhere else in Asia. It is very westernized and everyone speaks perfect English so it’s easy to feel at home. At the weekends I like to go out with friends for coffee or food, shop in the countless super malls, and I sometimes travel to an island for the weekend.

What do you enjoy about working with Filipinos?
Every Filipino I meet is friendlier than the last. They are such lovely people – always happy and eager to please. Helpful, loyal, reliable, modest, polite and very hardworking are just a few of the qualities I am lucky enough to be surrounded by every day.

What are your core values when it comes to managing people?
I believe in earning the respect of employees rather than demanding it, acknowledging and rewarding performance, encouraging the development of talent and skills and leading by example.

What 3 words best describe you?
Happy, hardworking and honest.

What are your 3 favourite movies?
Seven Pounds, Runaway Bride and Bridget Jones.

Favourite city in the world and why?
I would probably have to say Sydney because of its diversity. Beaches, metropolitan and wildlife, healthy food, healthy lifestyle and positive people.

When are you your happiest?
When I have made someone else happy :)

If you could have a super power what would it be and why?
To pause time. I always try to live every day to the maximum, but imagine how much could be achieved if a day lasted forever!

How do you recharge and relax?
Sunbathe, hike, spend time in the countryside, listen to audiobooks and this is a strange one - clean!

What's your favourite meal?

My mum's roast dinner. Unfortunately, I only get to have it about once a year so it’s a very special moment when I do!

Ready to build your tech team through IT outsourcing? Let Cloud Employee help! Talk to us, learn how Cloud Employee works, or check out our Developer Pricing Guide.  You can hire offshore developers with us across these technologies.