Meet the team: Karen Popplewell - Director of Project Services

Karen has been a fundamental part of the success of Q:chi and its growth as a business since 2006. Acting in a number of roles throughout the evolution of her career at Q:chi, Karen has been a guiding voice as Project Manager, Director and Team Manager.

Expertise is key in the development of software. Over the course of an enviable career Karen has amassed a reputation built on client trust and is a key figure in guiding our team and delivering the right solutions on time. Karen, through the power of initiative and intelligence has always focused on delivering the highest quality on every project. From the beginnings of Q:chi, as a small firm with limited resources. Karen has shaped our growth, always able to bring us back to our goal in challenging moments. A connection with both clients and team members cannot be compromised within a bespoke firm. Karen is our favourite problem solver!

The feeling of familial connection between Q:chi team members is in large part due to the longstanding leadership of our management team. Karen has helped to shape company culture and been at the heart of our best work. In the process of building a business, every team member's presence is of great importance. Karen has been a stabilising force, a compassionate leader and an advocate of great ideas. All of our Q:chi modules have evolved and developed from the original Q:chi system, and Karen's professional role has evolved alongside them.

Bringing together ideas from different stakeholders, all with their own ideas of perfection, is no easy task. Karen has a unique ability to ensure the team understands exactly what is needed to meet the client's needs.. In order to deliver the greatest solution, each project is as bespoke as our business. This is in no small part due to Karen's management of projects. Karen encourages us to consider every possible solution. If there is a more efficient path, Karen will find it and lead the way. The creation of an adapted global system for Visa, saw significant evolution throughout its development. An idea that began in project management and compliance, soon came to provide key financial controls on a systemic scale.

All our company directors began their career trajectory on the technical side of software development. Their complete understanding of the complexity behind our system is key to their support of our team. Karen specifies this knowledge as deeply beneficial to her managerial role, as the ethos of support within our organisation begins with knowing the needs of our team. In a frantic global environment, Karen has never lost sight of the importance of collaboration.

Karen is married with two grown children. Most of all, Karen enjoys long walks exploring the local countryside or further afield. Karen also attends a number of exercise classes including pilates and also enjoys dance. Although nowadays this is in the form of an exercise class, rather than a nightclub! Karen is an avid reader and enthusiastic cook, two hobbies she combines by being part of a regular book club that also meet for supper!

We hope to explore more ways in which small firms can create advantages for women in our industry. Over the coming months, keep an eye out for more from Karen. There are so many lessons she can pass on from her experiences of establishing herself in a senior STEM role.