Melissa, People lead for customer experience

Could you give us a brief explanation of your role at ANNA, and how your job makes a difference to customers?

As People Lead for our Customer Experience and Financial Crime teams, I’m all about supporting the brilliant humans who take care of ANNA’s customers every day. My mission is to make sure everyone feels valued, supported, and equipped with the confidence (and caffeine) they need to do their best work.

A big part of what I do is helping people grow, whether that’s through coaching chats, honest feedback, or spotting the perfect opportunity to stretch their skills. I’m also the unofficial guardian of good vibes, keeping an eye on wellbeing and team morale so we keep things positive, balanced, and human.

I work closely with our Team Leads to make sure everything runs smoothly and that we’re living ANNA’s values in the way we work and support our customers. Because when our people thrive, our customers feel it too.

Coming from the customer experience team, is ‘people lead’ a role you saw yourself going into?

Well… yes and no! Before joining ANNA, I was running events in the world of hospitality – juggling guest lists, table plans, and the occasional last-minute crisis. But I’d always had a soft spot for people, the behind-the-scenes kind. So I studied and earned my HR qualification alongside the day job.

Then the pandemic came along and gave my career a little plot twist — redundancy! I joined ANNA thinking it’d be a short-term gig while I figured things out… but ANNA had other ideas. They spotted my background, gave me room to grow, and before I knew it, I’d found my next chapter right here. The rest, as they say, is ANNA history.

How do you balance supporting individual growth with making sure the whole team is moving in the same direction?

That’s a great question and honestly, it’s one of the trickiest (and most rewarding) parts of my role!

For me, it’s about finding that balance between supporting individual growth and keeping the whole team aligned. Everyone has their own ambitions and strengths, and I love helping people explore and develop those. I spend time understanding what drives each person so their growth feels meaningful to them but also contributes to what the wider team needs.

The main goal always circles back to delivering exceptional customer experience – that’s our north star. It helps me keep things balanced, because no matter how someone is growing individually, it ultimately connects back to how we serve our customers.

Our values also play a huge part in this. You can’t always have a rule book when it comes to people, we’re all different! Sometimes it’s less about ticking boxes and more about asking, “What’s the right thing to do here?” And that might look a little different each time.

Regular check-ins, open conversations, and celebrating wins (big and small) keep everyone connected, aligned, and moving forward together. And of course, keeping things light and human along the way helps too.

What’s the most unexpected skill you’ve found yourself using as a People Lead?

Probably mediation! My day-to-day as a People Lead is full of the usual suspects:- juggling, multitasking, quick thinking, organising… all that good stuff. But one skill I didn’t expect to lean on so often is mediation. I often find myself in the middle of conversations between people or teams, helping everyone reach common ground, where both sides (and most importantly, our customers) walk away happy.

It’s actually quite thrilling, a mix of empathy, logic, and diplomacy. For a brief moment, I get to channel my inner Elle Woods: calm under pressure, girl boss energy, and always aiming for the win–win! 💅

How do you balance being the ‘people person’ and also making tough decisions (e.g. performance issues, restructures)?

First off, I always do my homework. I like to go into any tricky situation well-prepared. Researching, gathering facts, and understanding all sides before jumping in. It helps me stay calm, confident, and fair when things get tough.

I’m also a big believer in prevention being better than cure. I put clear processes and policies in place to give everyone solid guidance. So ideally, we can avoid those difficult situations in the first place!

That said, no one’s perfect. I learn from every experience (and my own mistakes too), and I make sure I do better next time. Growth isn’t just something I encourage in others, it’s something I practice myself.

I’ve also made a promise to my team: I’ll always be transparent, even when that means switching into serious mode. And yes… every now and then, I do have a warning tone I can turn on when needed. It’s not scary (I promise!), but it does get the message across that I mean business.

There’s a lot of talk about AI – but what are the human qualities that AI can’t beat?

We should absolutely embrace AI. When it’s used well, it can free us up to make more human magic.

But no matter how clever it gets, AI can’t replicate that genuine human connection – the empathy, the emotional intelligence, the care for each other’s wellbeing. Those small, instinctive things that come from truly understanding people. Ultimately, understanding people is how you create an exceptional customer experience!

Every person brings their own unique kind of sparkle, different experiences, perspectives, and quirks. When you bring all those together, that’s where the real magic happens. AI can assist, but it can’t replace that.

What’s your proudest moment at ANNA?

It’s hard to pick just one proud moment – there are a few that always make me smile.

There’s that buzz when a superstar hire passes their probation and officially becomes part of the ANNA family. Or the sweet relief when I finally publish the Christmas rota and everyone’s (relatively) happy, that’s a win in my book!

But honestly, my proudest moments come from the little things: the moments of solidarity, care, and genuine fun within the team. The laughter at a social, a supportive Slack thread, or the daily top-tier bants that fly around. Those are the moments that show we’ve built something special – a team culture that’s kind, strong, and full of heart.

What do you think you bring to ANNA that no one else does?

I’m not sure I bring something that no one else could… but I do bring a wealth of experience, loyalty, and dedication that’s been built up over the years. I’ve grown with ANNA, and that long-term trust and understanding means I really get what makes this place tick.

I also know my strengths and my weaknesses, and I’m not afraid to lean into both.
I’m a big believer that it takes a village to make great things happen; it’s never a one-WOman show (see what I did there?). I know who to collaborate with, when to ask for help, and how to bring people together to get things done… the ANNA way.