Meet Sophie, our brilliant Global Growth Lead

Meet our brilliant Global Growth Lead, Sophie Phillips. Sophie joined us in 2017 and has been a champion for the growth and changes in our commercial teams over the past 6 years.  

Earlier this month, we sat down with Sophie to find out more about her career background, some of her favourite things about working for Alps over the last 6 years and what advice she would give someone wanting to start a career in sales. 

Hi Sophie, please can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit more about your career background and your role at Alps? 

I have always worked in the Education sector in one way or another.  

My first job was with a company that taught literacy and numeracy skills to young adults. I then worked at the University of Huddersfield, supporting nursing and research students and in 2017, I found myself as a temp at Alps. I obviously loved the job so much I applied for a more permanent role and was lucky enough to get it! Since then, I have been successfully involved with the growth of the commercial functions at Alps, working closely with the Education Team, marketing and now my current role as the Global Growth Lead. As a key team member, I take pride in actively contributing to the success and growth of Alps.

What is your favourite thing about working at Alps?   

One of the main things I enjoy about my role is the relationships I build with our clients. It’s amazing to see a client using Alps to its full potential and in turn, becoming an advocate for the platform. I also love the fact that Alps has such a genuine history and a simple principle of improving student outcomes.  

I have always wanted to be part of a company that ‘does good’ and it’s amazing to know that the company that I am working for is making a positive impact to the lives of young people, and that I contribute towards that in my own way.  

How have you grown in your role since working for Alps? 

I think my work before Alps was always quite insular, in that it didn’t necessarily extend to working closely with other teams to fulfil my role. At Alps, collaborative working is key. Each team is dependent on another, as we all work to deliver the best service for our clients. I think learning to work collaboratively has been an area of growth for me and one that I really enjoy. It also means that in these days of remote working, you never feel alone.  

What advice would you give aspiring Sales Professionals? 

I think knowing that the role is as much about learning from the client as it is about being knowledgeable about what you are trying to provide. It’s important to understand the issues that schools face so you can provide the solution. Never go in thinking you have all the answers. 

Interesting Fact:  

I once unwittingly gave away a winning scratch card to my neighbour after buying two of the same newspapers, one for her and one for me! 

Interested in joining the ever-growing Alps team? Click here to view our latest career opportunities.