How did your journey in tech begin, and what ultimately led you into your current role?
My journey into tech began with a longstanding interest in technology, which led me to study Electrical & Electronic Engineering, followed by a postgraduate qualification in Computing and IT. After university, I gained experience across a range of industries, including Telecoms and Pharma, but my ambition to build a more technology-focused career ultimately brought me to Allstate.
Over the past ten years at Allstate, I've had the privilege of being closely involved in Allstate's technology operating model transformation. During that time, I've worked across a variety of roles, including Project and Program Management, Scrum Master, and Release Train Engineer. These experiences led me to my current role as Lead Service Manager within the Technology Risk & Compliance organisation, where my team and I drive ATS wide change and execute strategy to ensure compliance while reducing risk.
How has working within the digital product model changed the way you approach service management?
Working within the digital product model has changed my approach to service management by requiring a balance between short term delivery and long term objectives. From a service management perspective, it's essential to have a strong support structure that enables close collaboration with digital product teams, while remaining flexible as priorities and goals evolve. Ongoing feedback plays a critical role in our service delivery, ensuring we continually adapt to meet the needs of our customers — in this case, the digital product teams.
From your perspective, what's the most important thing product teams should understand about service readiness?
From my perspective, the most important thing product teams should understand about service readiness is that it's a shared responsibility that needs to be considered early, not something only addressed at the end of delivery. Drawing on my experience across various roles, I've seen firsthand how critical it is to design services with operability, resilience, and risk in mind from the outset.
Effective service readiness requires close collaboration between product and service teams, clear ownership, and a strong understanding of how solutions will be supported, monitored, and evolved. When service management is embedded early and supported by continuous feedback, teams are better positioned to deliver sustainable, compliant solutions that can scale and adapt as business needs change.
What's a skill you've had to double-down on in the last year because the landscape is evolving?
Systems thinking and an engineering first approach. As the landscape continues to evolve, it's critical to understand systems end-to-end and focus on building resilient, scalable solutions rather than short-term fixes, as well as employing automation solutions whereever feasible.
How has Allstate supported your growth and development over the years?
Allstate has supported my growth and development immensely by giving me the opportunity to explore new roles, build new skills, and engage fully in employee life. This has included involvement in Communities of Practice, Employee Interest Groups, and ongoing professional development, all of which have helped shape my career.
What's the core reason you've chosen to build your career here at Allstate?
The development opportunities, the chance to work on cutting-edge and challenging projects, and above all the collaborative and supportive work environment are the core reasons I've chosen to build my career at Allstate. These elements come together to make it a truly exceptional place to work. I briefly left Allstate in 2021 to explore another opportunity, but returned after only a few months, having quickly realised just how special Allstate is.
