As part of my series of interviews with Interim Managers (IMs) in the Valtus UK network, I spoke to Kelly Jones about her hugely successful career in the world of interim management and how other women can follow in her footsteps.
Inspired by a close relative, she studied engineering at university, before rising up the ranks at Rolls Royce for 17 years. She then became CEO of a struggling hydraulic motor business in the north-east of England, making such a difference the owner asked her to restructure the next company he purchased.
These roles, which highlighted her turnaround talents, unlocked her passion for interim management and ten years on from her first interim assignment, she can’t imagine doing anything else. Here are some of the key points I took away from our conversation.
Building on an engineered foundation
Kelly’s career began with inspiration from her uncle, a software engineer, which led her to pursue a degree in engineering. This discipline taught Kelly to approach challenges with a structured, logical framework and problem-solving mindset – a method she later found highly transferable to interim roles where quick, decisive action is often required to drive change.
At university, engineering wasn’t a typical pathway for women – 98% of Kelly’s degree class were men. This early experience stood her in good stead for the working world of engineering and gave her the resilience needed to navigate in the male-dominated industry.
As she has moved through her career, Kelly’s success stemmed from her focus on facts and logic. She quickly learned that boiling down complex problems into clear, fact-based solutions not only helped her succeed but also broke down gender-related preconceptions from colleagues and clients.
Support systems fuel success
Most people, at all levels, occasionally need a cheerleader or two to lean on and remind them of their talents. The right encouragement at important career moments is crucial. Throughout her career, Kelly has found strength in the support of colleagues and family.
Kelly credits a board of directors for encouraging her to take on her first CEO role, and her husband for being a constant source of support when confidence dipped and imposter syndrome surfaced. Support from friends and community has been particularly important in interim management since, as Kelly says: “You are often a lone voice and that is a challenge”. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to point out you have the experience and expertise for a role.
Once Kelly had discovered her passion for the turnaround sector, the door opened to a supportive community of IM professionals and new job opportunities. This included becoming a member of the Institute for Turnaround, where she connected with experts happy to help her navigate the IM landscape and hone her skills. She highlights the important role this community played in shaping her “journey of independent, fascinating career assignments”. As Kelly has built a track record of IM success, unfounded imposter feelings have faded.
Playing the long game
It’s a journey that has taken time. Success in interim management is based on years of experience in senior positions and the layers of confidence you develop dealing with different situations. That means, regardless of who you are, a career in the sector demands a proven track record of expertise in your field.
Gradually building the right skills gets people to the point where they are ready to step into an IM position. “If I was talking to a woman early in her career I’d say it’s a journey. Don’t be impatient. Be kind to yourself, back yourself and just keep going,” says Kelly.
She hopes to see the numbers of women following her IM path grow and believes we are at a tipping point, particularly for sectors like engineering where female representation has been historically low. There are more women choosing STEM subjects and engineering careers, now making up more than 15% of the engineering workforce in the UK – and more women being attracted into senior roles, which increases the talent pool for IM positions.
Kelly knows representation matters. Just as she saw her uncle’s engineering success as a child and thought “I can do that”, so women will see other women excel in senior positions and believe they can do the same.
There are lots of hugely talented women like Kelly in the Valtus UK network, and we’re keen to encourage more into the IM sector, particularly in underrepresented areas such as engineering.
If you’re a woman working at a senior level and are interested in an IM career, we’d love to discuss how we can support you. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and reach out.
Interested in hearing more from the women in our network? Read my interviews with FMCG sector specialist Anna Chokina who has senior experience at companies including Proctor & Gamble, L’Oreal, PepsiCo and Avon, and international Board and C-level executive Magdaline Pistola who has worked in the tech space with companies such as IBM, JP Morgan, T Systems and O2.
To keep up with future interviews in this series, follow Valtus UK on LinkedIn and sign up for our newsletter.