Q&A with Karen Sturgess
Role
Please describe your role.
Now that is an interesting one – I am responsible for Customer Service, IT, HR, Health & Safety / Facilities, Logistics and have input with both the Bolton and Bristol branches too. As you can see I wear a number of different hats at all times.
How long have you been part of the Waterline team?
It'll be 23 years in September 2024.
Share a memorable moment from your career that has shaped who you are today?
Becoming part of the Board of Directors at Waterline 16 weeks after giving birth to our son – it has allowed me to help shape the ethos and culture of our business and has meant that I continue to work with the greatest team of people ever.
Interests
What's your favourite hobby or pastime outside of work?
Well, you have probably guessed that one – Badminton – I started playing at the age of 13 and now play with my whole family – except they are all better than me now
What's one thing on your bucket list you hope to achieve this year?
Getting back some fitness again after a knee injury so that I can play Masters badminton again for Northamptonshire.
If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
I’d go back to Australia to see our best friends again who moved out there over 25 years ago.
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Potatoes – just so many different ways to cook them.
Impressions
Share a fun fact about yourself that most people don't know.
My Dad has 2 England football caps which he constantly reminds me of how proud I should be of this fact.
What's the last book you read or movie you watched that left a lasting impression on you?
The Imitation Game – if society had not been so blinkered, I wonder what other amazing work Alan Turing could have achieved.
If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?
Florence Nightingale – I always told my children that I was “Florence Nightingale in a former life” when they were unwell so it would have been good to meet her for dinner to understand if she would have prescribed the same medication as I did. 😊
What's your favourite quote or mantra that inspires you?
“Happy spouse, happy house“.
