Ahead of the event, we sat down with Katie Crellin to explore her journey from the world of TV broadcasting to her flourishing career at County Broadband.
Can you share what you’ll be discussing at the INCA Panel?
The other panellists and I are very much legislative and regulatory specialists and we’re following the Ofcom keynote so you can expect us to discuss Ofcom regulation and regulation in the wider industry. Social tariffs and vulnerability are also likely to be on the agenda due to the current economic landscape, as we explore how we help people financially that can’t afford their bills.
Can you tell us a bit about your career background, both pre and during County Broadband?
I left university with an engineering degree and went into television as a broadcast engineer, working alongside ITV and Channel Five for around three and a half years. I subsequently took a career break when my daughter was born but then actually finished out of maternity leave early as I found an interesting County Broadband job online!
I joined County Broadband as an entry-level technical support agent, working in that role for just under a year before becoming a supervisor. As County Broadband continued to grow following our initial £46m investment to build full-fibre networks in rural communities (County Broadband has since received a second investment of £100m), I progressed to a senior operations manager. It was here I was spending more time focused on legislative and regulatory work as the business continued to grow. I became fully immersed in the role and when County Broadband asked me to commit to it full time I said ‘Yes absolutely!’. I think as a female engineer, and as a working mum, the fact that County Broadband supports your career development is a real credit to the business.
What is your current role at County Broadband and responsibilities?
I’m the Regulatory Policy and Reporting Manager and it’s quite far reaching, really. The title doesn’t suggest it but essentially, I’m the operational regulatory lead. Anything that comes up with regulations surrounding policies or internal activity that impacts customers is defined by me and reported on by me. I keep my finger on the pulse if anything needs changing or updating.
What is a typical day in your current role, if there is one, for you?
There are elements that I work on that can cover almost every aspect of the business. I could be working on something one day that touches on the operational side and then, another day, we’ll be working on something that encompasses the pre-build, design, build and operational team all in one. So, it just depends really!
What’s the dynamic like in your team?
I think because I was here before the first round of investment, the small business relationship we all had with each other at the time has just continued to naturally evolve. We’ve maintained our focus on supporting each other and our determination to always deliver the best service. It still feels like a family.
Do you have a specific career highlight at County Broadband you can tell us about?
I think the career highlight is going to be my experience on the panel at the INCA conference! The fact that I’ve been recognised alongside industry heavy hitters, CEOs and business owners is a real honour. I’m of course, a little bit nervous but also incredibly excited.
How important is it to you that women are aware of the opportunities available in the Engineering and Telecoms sector?
I think it’s so key that we have visibility of women that are doing good things in technical industries. Unfortunately, I don’t think it holds enough weight to just focus on one industry where women are in technology. I think you must hold that view against a lot of different industries, because otherwise there just aren’t enough of us that make that much of a splash in the puddle.
So, it’s key that a female voice is heard because I think any sort of diversity is good in the industry, because different subsets of people have different thought processes anyway. The more types of thought process you have discussing an issue, for example, the more likely you are to get to a response that is better.
What’s one piece of advice you would give your past self when your first joined County Broadband?
Don’t be scared or put off by the seeming magnitude of what it is that the business is doing. So, take it in, take your time and to go with it.
Katie Crellin will be speaking on the Regulatory Policy panel on 16th November at 14:40. Find out more through the conference programme.
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