At Version 1, we seek the best person for every role – this means the person whose skills best match the job and who can best further our Mission and live our Core Values, regardless of their age, race, religion, identity or gender. Since launching our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Programme, one of Version 1’s key focuses has been to increase the number of women working here.
We aim to go above and beyond to ensure that the women in our workforce are treated fairly when it comes to pay, recognition, training and promotion opportunities; where they can take the time off they need to attend to childcare or other family commitments; and where they are encouraged, empowered and supported to do their best work. Version 1 is delighted to support diverse events from Girls Who Code, School Reach Out, Women’s ReBoot, Sponsoring the Women In Tech Initiative at the Women in Tech Awards and STEM Ambassador Programme to Women in IT. We were also given a Great Place to Work for Women award in both 2019 and 2020, something that really validated our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging efforts to date.
With this in mind, we asked 10 female members of our team from various locations to share their favourite experiences at Version 1, including what they love about working here.
Having started in Version 1 a decade ago, there have been many highlights and I’ve been very lucky to have had many different roles and opportunities throughout this time. Managing a team of young ERP consultants who had just joined Version 1 through our Accelerate Graduate Programme is a role I will always look back on with pride; I felt honoured to be their first manager on their journey from education to the working world, helping them learn and grow. Whilst in this role, they nominated me for an Employee Excellence award to which I was shortlisted. Having those who I invested so much time and effort in, acknowledge this, was a moment that I will always remember and now, watching where their careers have taken them, is a new constant highlight.
I have been working with Cedar, and then Version 1, for more than 8 years now. It has been a very enjoyable and comfortable journey so far. The learning and growth opportunities internally are tremendous. As a highlight, I really appreciate the flexibility provided here resulting in good work-life balance and thus more job satisfaction and less stress. We have a well-experienced team who take ownership of the work assigned which reduces stress on people. The open culture, enthusiastic HR and operations team, regular surveys on employees trust/view and different engagement activities really do make Version 1 a great place to work in.
I joined Version 1 in October 2013 and I have had so many career highlights – way too many to mention – but fundamentally that’s why I love Version 1, because every day is a highlight. We talk about it being a great place to work but not an easy place to work and I would completely agree with that; it’s only hard for those who don’t want to keep driving for company success and personal success. I would say that for me the Version 1 people are what makes my role so fulfilling because we support each other every day.
My biggest career highlight was becoming Head of Marketing. I didn’t know that Marketing was where I wanted to focus when I joined Version 1. Through a culture of trust, empowerment and development I have found a role that I love. Balance is everything in Version 1 and I am grateful that I have the flexibility to progress my career while spending quality time with my young family.
I joined the Version 1 Team of Licensing experts thirteen years ago. At the time, the role of Licensing Analyst was created for me, building on my business analytical and audit skills. I supported the licensing consultants on a part-time basis, fitting around my young family. As the family became more independent, I was able to take on extra challenges and grow my experience at a pace which was mutually beneficial to Version 1 and myself. My first highlight would therefore have to be work-life balance. My second would be the people I work with. We are a small but strong knit long-standing team of dedicated individuals who support and encourage each other. My value has been reflected in career progression and awards from Version 1, including recently being nominated as Inspiring Colleague of the Year.
My biggest career moment was winning the Operational Excellence and Efficiency Team award when I was part of the Talent Management team. I felt very lucky to be able to celebrate the night with my colleagues. I was given a chance to move through four different roles in Version 1: I started out in Reception, then got promoted to BAS Administrator, then to Workforce Management PMO and now I work as Commercial Operations Manager. I remember each transition as a challenge but also an opportunity, every step of the way was unique and unforgettable experience.
There have been many career highlights since I joined in 2009, but a particular high for me was my first customer project. I had previously been involved in remote small scale projects, but never an onsite implementation. Not only was it my first onsite project, I was the lead! I led workshops, gathered customer requirements, configured the system accordingly and even had to do presentations to their Board of Directors. As a woman of 28, I was worried I wouldn’t be taken seriously, but thankfully Version 1 had faith in me and the customer was extremely happy with my performance.
One of my favourite things about my career is how diverse and varied it can be. I started as a JDE Software Developer but this has since expanded into working with JDE CNC systems, SQL, and databases, where I support multiple clients. Outside of my main role, I’ve been able to delve into Microsoft Power Apps to promote a local office Health & Wellbeing initiative, which has been really beneficial to my developer-side. I love that I’m not confined to one area and can explore in different directions – it keeps my mind sharp!
My biggest highlight is my recent promotion to Practice Operations Manager for our UK Digital and Cloud Practice. I was up against some brilliant colleagues and it really came down to the breadth and depth of experience I’ve gained over the last 6 years at Version 1. It’s a key role for a part of our business that’s skyrocketing in growth, so I couldn’t be more excited to both make an impact and learn a ton!
I have a few highlights! I was promoted to the Senior Management team in Dec 2015 after 6 years in Version 1. Having originally joined as a ‘techy’ with no previous management experience this was a big achievement for me and something I am really proud of. Winning 8 UKOUG awards in 2017 was a very memorable moment; I was so proud of our teams. Lastly, I would say that I have been very privileged to work with many great clients and colleagues who have inspired me in so many ways and taught me a lot, particularly about leadership and resilience.
10 Version 1 Women Share Their Top Career Highlights | Version 1
