We would like to welcome Alyson Keeling to the Aspida Team as Assistant Company Secretary. She joins us from previous roles such as a teacher, a head of department and then becoming an administrator in the finance world.
She talks to us about changing her career later on in life and the benefits it can bring.
“After completing my degree I was at a bit of a loss at what do to with my career, whilst I figured out my great life journey I thought I would give teaching a go. My rationale was that I would teach for about 5 years by which time I would have a clear idea of my path. Sixteen years later, which included a move to Guernsey, meeting my husband and having two incredible children I finally thought about leaving teaching.
It was a huge step as I was an established head of department with great relationships with both students and colleagues, and I did not have the office experience that many employers wanted. However, I was very fortunate that a small office needed someone to carry out admin on a temporary contract and were happy to take me on.
Whilst completing some filing I started reading the minutes and was interested in decisions made by the Board and started asking lots of questions! The team needed someone to support the Corporate Manager and asked if I would be interested in learning to take minutes and doing some basic CoSec work and that is how it started.
As I gained experience my interest grew, I embarked on the CGI Qualifying Programme and moved to Aspida to develop my skills and knowledge.
Changing career and embarking on studying can be very daunting at any age but in your forties, it can be downright terrifying, however, I would recommend to anyone to give it a go. Aspida have been incredibly welcoming and give their employees opportunities to try new things and develop their skills.
Being a CoSec can be demanding as you need to be very organised, efficient and pro-active but the variety of the work means that every day is different. The team are incredibly supportive and so generous with their time and knowledge, and I have the opportunity to work with a diverse portfolio of clients.” Aly has also recently been elected as a Douzenier for the Forest Parish.
Our Head of Company Secretarial Service Lezanne Kretschmer adds “Aly is truly a rising star and a valued member of the CoSec team and wider Aspida family. Her friendly, professional, responsive, and engaged approach is highly appreciated. A career in corporate governance is a great fit for Aly and we are very happy to support her development to reach her full potential and beyond. The sky is definitely not the limit for Aly and we are excited to see her continue to flourish and achieve great things!
Welcome to the Aspida team Aly.
