To mark International Women’s Day, Suntera Digital Managing Director Lorna Richards spoke about spearheading the global service provider’s digital aspirations, her two-decade career with Suntera and achieving the right work-life balance.
Q: You marked your 20th anniversary as part of the Suntera family last year – how has your career evolved over that time?
LR: I have been fortunate to have had a varied and interesting career over two decades working at Suntera Global. To provide a snapshot, I joined the Isle of Man office in 2004 as an administrator working in the private client team. From there, I worked my way up the ranks to senior administrator before leaving our traditional services and starting on a new venture with my – at the time - senior manager (now CEO) David Hudson, to focus on new initiatives for the Group.
We began looking into the online gaming sector in the Isle of Man – a service line where we realised we had something unique to offer. Fundamentally, that differentiator was our ability to provide all the key corporate service lines under one roof, whether that be company management, accounting and tax services or specialist VAT consultancy and compliance services, all of which were real selling points when compared to other providers at the time.
We immersed ourselves in the sector to ensure we fully understood all the requirements, spending time with the IoM Government and key representatives for the sector and data hosting companies until we firmly established ourselves as the Island’s leading provider of corporate services to the sector.
On a personal level, seeing the service line grow from an opportunity and gap in the market to a desirable and profitable area of Suntera’s business model has been extremely gratifying.
After a period working part time to focus on my three children, I returned full time in 2021 ready to embark on new horizons and with that in mind, I started my next new venture – Suntera Digital. Focussing on the digital and technology sector Suntera Digital provides corporate services to some extremely large software groups that distribute their platforms and content into global markets. In addition, it also provides services to some of the largest global professional betting syndicates, as well as supporting digital marketing companies, data subscription models and media companies.
As a rapidly evolving service line, I am excited to be a part of its growth and, as I celebrate the 20-year milestone of working at Suntera, I think it’s an excellent example of how a company can work with its employees to facilitate a mutually supportive dynamic and grow together.
Q: So what does a typical day look like for you?
LR: It is extremely busy! I am actively involved in the administration of our portfolio while also interacting with our clients daily as part of the personable service Suntera is known for.
In addition, I hold a number of Board positions and find myself in many company Board meetings while still heading up a busy team. As you might expect in the technology sector, client turnaround times are very tight, so we are definitely kept on our toes but we have a fantastic group of clients, paired with an equally dynamic and responsive team, so it is very rewarding work.
Q: The world of technology is changing rapidly – to what extent does that provide a challenge in terms of leading a team in the sector?
LR: It’s crucial that we keep abreast of innovations in technology and how those services are supported. Our clients continually challenge us with the ways in which they wish to operate, and we pride ourselves on being solutions driven and focussed on finding the best way to fit these requirements into our working practices. We also have some fantastic legal, tax and expert professional advisors to hand, who we have built strong relationships with over the years and who are aligned with our can-do attitude to finding new solutions.
Overall, it’s important as a leader in this space to keep an open mind and be flexible – there is usually a way if you are determined and solutions driven.
Q: Your team is more than 50% female – how important is gender balance and diversity more widely for a team in this space?
LR: Diversity is absolutely vital to our team dynamic. It’s all about balance and having the right combination of skills, knowledge and a varied approach to tackling problem solving.
Q: How do you balance work and family life?
LR: As most parents will attest to, juggling work and family life is a constant challenge. For me, a typical day starts early, beginning with getting three children up and ready for school. Work calls and emails begin early too however, and I’m often balancing both roles at once in the mornings – sometimes with a work call in the car on my commute after the school drop off, which is actually a great use of time.
After work, there is space for my family’s evening routine before often finishing the day with attending to any pressing work requirements on my laptop.
Although my role is busy and demanding, it is thoroughly rewarding, and I enjoy the pace and mental stimulation of working in such a supportive, dynamic and fast-paced environment – while also still having the space and time to have a fulfilling home life.
Q: Looking ahead, what’s next for Suntera Digital?
LR: We will continue to work hard, push boundaries and build the strong client relationships Suntera is known for. As a team we strongly believe that as long as we strive to be great at what we do then the future will take care of itself.
Key Contact:
MANAGING DIRECTOR, SUNTERA DIGITAL
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