Why I came back to Digiterre

This is my story about my time at Digiterre. It’s about my journey with the organisation and it spans a large portion of my career.  Returning to things once they are done is not my usual style, but something kept me coming back. Here’s why.

My first interaction with Digiterre was a phone interview in 2004 with Digiterre’s CEO, Ian Murrin. Digiterre had been going for four years at this point and Ian needed a PA to help with the growing business.  This was followed by a couple of interviews at the office then a walk round to Ian’s house to meet his wife Kris.

I started at Digiterre in Sept 2004. I loved being a PA, there was never a dull day, I remember this period of my life with great fondness and still laugh at some of the unforgettable moments.

PA to Training Officer – my first career move

Having worked as Ian’s PA for 7 years, Ian offered me a new challenge and to change up my career by moving into the world of CRM as a Training Officer. (At the time, Digiterre sold a CRM product, Communica alongside its consultancy business.)

I was to be responsible for training all Communica CRM clients. I grabbed the opportunity with both hands even though I was uncertain at first, but I didn’t want to let Ian down. I quickly adjusted to the role and realised that I enjoyed it a lot. I loved being able to share my knowledge and watching my clients become more efficient because of what I had taught them.

After a few years, I moved into a Client Services/Account Management role for Communica clients. Life was good, I loved the product, my team and most of all loved the satisfaction I got from making clients happy. There were ups and downs but at the end of the day, I still loved every moment. I knew if I aired my opinions, my team and management would hear and consider them. There was always discussion around the next steps or the way forward in any situation. I was allowed to help make strategic decisions about functionality and influence the direction of the product. I always had my clients’ backs and tried to ensure they were happy. We won awards for the product and built a happy and loyal client base, so I knew we were doing a good job.

Changing times – moving away from Digiterre

I have never liked change and will be the first to admit I don’t cope well with it. Digiterre was always my safe haven. I knew where I stood, and what the situation was.  So when Communica was acquired in February 2019  I have to admit panic set in about my future. The situation was certainly very unsettling but I managed to remain the same bubbly, helpful, caring account manager to my clients that they always relied on, and tried to reassure them as best I could. Meanwhile, me and my team prepared to move into the offices of the new company.

Once at the new office, I threw myself into migrating over the Communica clients to the new platform. I continued supporting my clients and getting them migrated with as little disruption to them as possible. My new team was small but hardworking, knowledgeable, and always willing to help me learn the new platform and worked on the migrations with me. Whilst churning through the migrations, the pandemic hit. Working from home became the norm, it suited me as I only really dealt with teams outside of the UK anyway. There was only me and one other Communica team member left by now and he had moved on to supporting clients of the new platform.  I continued looking after every aspect of Communica and the clients, even after they moved over to the new platform, handling the remaining migrations and taking on new clients.

At the back of my mind, I always thought it might be a possibility that I could return to Digiterre but in what capacity I didn’t know. About 3 years after the acquisition and with most of my clients successfully migrated to the new platform I knew the time was right to move on.

Returning to Digiterre

I called Ian to see what opportunities there might be at Digiterre for me. Ian spoke to me about a role as an Engagement Manager. I had never heard of this role before but after Ian explained it to me, it sounded right up my street. Not only did the role involve looking after clients, but I would also look after our consultants as well, ensuring they were happy so they would be productive. I went through the standard recruitment process. An initial call with the Director of the People Team, Theresa to discuss the role further, followed by a call with the rest of the team. I was pleased to be taken through the process as it meant that if I was suitable for the role, I would be offered the job based on my merit rather than my history with Digiterre. It also meant it was fair on other candidates going for the position. It gave me a chance to ask questions, find out more about the role, how Digiterre had changed in the intervening years since I last worked there and meet the other team members. This was not a decision I was going to take lightly. I was torn. Do I stay, so I didn’t have to leave my clients? Or do I put myself first and go back to Digiterre where I could try something slightly different but in a fairly familiar and safe environment? The decision was made! After finalising the paperwork, I called Ian to tell him the news. Kris was in the background and started singing “She’s coming home, she’s coming home, she’s coming, Katie’s coming home”. That is when I knew I had made the right decision.

Coming home

Digiterre feels like home to me and the people make it feel like you are part of a family. I might have yet another role within the organisation, but it’s still the same in many ways. Digiterre still has the right morals and values, high standards, everyone at Digiterre strives to help each other succeed. And most of all, we care about each other, our clients and are passionate about the work we do for them. Digiterre will no doubt grow and change, but I’m sure we will uphold what is best about Digiterre, the things that make it feel like home for me and other #digipeople.