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After dedicating 19 years of her career to the NHS with very little to show in terms of personal advancement and progression, Leanne Ayres decided that to grow her career, she’d need to make the leap into the private sector.
First with Speed Medical, and then across the handl Group, Leanne’s seen a rapid advancement as her talent and commitment has finally been recognised and rewarded.
“I originally joined Speed Medical in 2010 as an Operations Manager. I had to quickly adapt to the expectations of the private sector, but I could apply many of the principles I’d learned previously in my career. I stayed flexible, and it let me learn about how all of Speed’s departments operated and worked together.”
After six years with Speed Medical, Leanne had built the solid foundations to unlock future opportunities – the first of which came from The Treatment Network, where she’d need to work in partnership with ATOS and develop new skills.
“In 2016, when I moved to TTN, it was my first time managing clinical staff. I had to develop and use new management skills, handle PIP assessors, and work closely to ATOS’ processes. All while interacting with members of the public, many of whom were angry, in pain and upset.”
Working with external partners and the public helped Leanne to hone new skills and focus on meeting expectations from a diverse range of stakeholders – making her a prime candidate for further advancement within the group.
In 2019, that opportunity presented itself with a new handl Group acquisition – Harrison Associates – who needed a project manager to help them through the transition. As Operations Director, Leanne would show her ability to adapt and learn new skills.
“Along with reshaping the company culture and learning how to work in the Case Management and Expert Witness fields, I needed to manage a complete overhaul of operational processes and IT systems.”
“I had to set benchmarks – not just for the company but for myself. Anything that didn’t take clinical knowledge would become my responsibility. This forced me to learn even more and pushed me outside my comfort zone as I had to manage a complete IT transformation. Working closely with project managers, a new case management system was implemented alongside a new website.”
With 14 years’ private sector experience, along with new skills in IT transformation management, Leanne put herself firmly in the frame for a senior leadership role. When Corporé needed a new General Manager to increase the company’s efficiency and processes, Leanne was the unanimous choice.
“This was an opportunity I didn’t expect, that presented itself because of the work I put in across the group and the personal development I achieved along the way. Without knowing it, I’d spent 15 years in a training environment, learning from managers and board members across handl Group. I’m excited to see what happens next!”
