A huge congratulations to Claire Jones who celebrated her 25-year Long Service milestone last week.
We caught up with Claire to find out more about her time at OGL so far:
"Reaching 25 years with the company feels incredibly special and slightly alarming when I say it out loud! I joined all those years ago in an admin role, with absolutely no idea where the journey would lead. Somehow, as opportunities have presented and with the support of people who've believed in me, I’ve been lucky enough to grow through Customer Success, CSM Management, New Business Sales, Head of Sales, and now into the role of Chief Commercial Officer.
I’ve learned a huge amount from some exceptional people. From my first interview with Debbie and Sharon in 2001 along with continued guidance from Debbie, Paul, Ashok and Neil in the early days, and the constant support of the Senior Leadership Team now, has made all the difference especially during the tougher chapters. We’ve been through recessions, uncertainty, and times when the business was genuinely under pressure, as well as incredible growth and momentum that has been particularly evident as we stand independently as a software company. We’ve seen the full spectrum and (just about!) survived it.
Looking back, what really makes me smile is just how much has changed. Not only the ERP software we sell and support, but the world itself. When I started, there were no sat-navs, cloud meant weather, and we relied on getting orders from the fax machine. That incoming bleep was the epitome of sales excitement… until it ran out of paper! The team today genuinely don’t know how lucky they are and yes, I keep reminding them! Although, I’m fully aware this is the point where I officially sound old! But seriously, seeing how quickly our products, platforms, and ways of working have evolved has been genuinely exciting.
Above everything else, though, it’s the people who make this place what it is and the reason I haven’t looked anywhere else. The teams I’ve worked with, the managers who’ve challenged me, backed me and the colleagues who've pulled together through the highs and the (very occasional) lows. The talent, resilience, and humour in not only the sales teams (which obviously helps) but OGL Software as a whole, are second to none and having cake and biscuits in the building every week doesn’t hurt either!
I genuinely love the team we’ve built and the managers I work with. I believe deeply in what we’re building, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of it. After 25 years, countless changes, and more than a few war stories, I feel I have a lot to be grateful for and there’s never a day where there’s nothing to do (ever!)… I enjoy the buzz of the office and seeing other people just starting their journey, eager to know what’s next for them and I hope I can be that mentor, well.. for at least a few more years!"
Claire's manager, Debbie Barton, commented: "I honestly cannot believe that Claire is celebrating her 25 year anniversary at OGL Software; I don’t know where the time has gone. It only seems like 5 minutes since Claire and I were mapping out the account manager areas with our big A-Z map, in the days of no SATNAV and Rich, James and Phil (then Matt) would send photos in of their signed contracts or orders… happy days!
Claire and I spent many years working together whilst running the Existing Sales Team and Claire’s journey has been a phenomenal one! I am so proud and delighted at how Claire has developed in the company, from Sales Administrator, to Existing Sales Team Manager, to Head of Sales and then CCO – no-one has worked harder to achieve their goals, she is extremely determined and focused but with such an endearing character that makes people really enjoy working for her, and that is evident by the fantastic team she has built.
Well done and thank you Claire for your amazing commitment to our company!"
