Ashley Sterland

What were you doing prior to working at the Change Organisation?

Before joining the Change Organisation, I had a few different roles. I worked at Techdata for a few years, and before that I was at the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I actually joined the Change Organisation back in 2002 after around four years in previous roles.

How has your role changed or evolved since joining?

When I first joined, I came in to do purchasing. At the time, I was the only person in that role. From there, I progressed into a purchasing director position around 2003, which I held for quite a while. In 2014, I moved into a communications director role. Then in 2018, I moved into e-supply, and later into more systems-focused work. More recently, I've become the Information Systems Director, which aligns closely with my current focus on systems, data, and reporting. Over the years, my role has evolved significantly across different areas of the business, taking on a range of director-level responsibilities.

What elements about your role in particular and the company in general do you enjoy most?

What I enjoy most is working with systems, reports, spreadsheets, and databases. I like getting stuck into the detail, solving problems, and finding ways to make processes more efficient. A big part of my role is about improving systems and helping the business operate more effectively, which I find really rewarding.

What factors do you feel we employ to differentiate ourselves from other companies?

I think the company culture is quite unique. Over the years, the culture has evolved a lot. When I first joined, it was a much smaller and less formal environment. As the business has grown, it has become more professional, with more structure and leadership in place. However, it has still managed to retain a relaxed and open culture compared to many other companies. It's not overly strict or "tight-laced," which helps make it a good place to work.

What's been the most significant change or development in the business since your time here?

The most significant change has been the growth in business performance, especially around COVID. Before COVID, things were relatively steady and at times challenging. However, when COVID hit, demand for laptops and IT equipment increased significantly, and the business saw a major surge in revenue. Since then, the company has continued to grow year on year, with performance increasing consistently and not really slowing down.

What do you see for the future?

I think the future will involve more of the same continued growth, along with ongoing improvements to systems and processes. AI could play an important part in improving the business and processes, making them more efficient. Solving more problems and enabling the business to do more advanced tasks.