By Agency Works 
Next up in our Meet the Team series, it’s Learning and Development Manager Kate O’Donnell (aka KOD), who loves the outdoors and is pretty handy behind the wheel of a tractor…
Tell us about your role at Agency Works...
"I’m Learning and Development Manager, which means I work with clients – old and new – to help them understand how to use Synergist and all the functions within it.
"All new clients go through a period of onboarding and I’m responsible for overseeing the learning portal where they can access training sessions, but also for running one-to-one live sessions too, where they can explore any challenges or questions they may have.
"Basically, my job involves everything to do with learning and making sure that it’s all tailored to the individual agency and their needs, so they can get the most out of their new system."
What about your early career? How did you end up here?
"I was brought up on a farm, so my first experiences of work were driving tractors, helping out with the animals, and working as a veterinary nurse while I was at college.
"I studied Agricultural Business Studies and went on to work on a couple of different farms, ending up in the office of a dairy goat farm. It was a great job but I eventually realised that there was very little progression and I was a bit fed up with doing the same thing every day.
"I got an office job for a small family run company, which was subsequently bought out by Nestle, and that was where I first got into training. They introduced a new system and I ended up training people on the software.
"I then moved on to a training role in E.ON, before coming to Agency Works."
What do you enjoy most about your role?
"I genuinely love training people. I really like the feeling of helping them get to grips with something new and seeing how it’s improving their working life.
"I also like the fact no day is the same. One day I might be creating training materials or managing the learning system, the next I will be on calls with clients.
"I have the chance to work with everybody across Agency Works, and I love the fact everybody gets on so well and that there’s a great social side too."
What do you like most about agency life?
"It’s the people more than anything. Even though everyone works in such busy environments, they’re generally easy-going and laidback."
What value do clients get from working with you?
"Because I've been working in training for such a long time, I hope I have an understanding of how people feel at the start of the journey and can put them at ease.
"I think people can sometimes feel a bit worried if they’re finding things hard, but I try to make sure they know it's not a test, it is just teaching them how to do something in the best way. And once they've got that, their role will become easier day-to-day, that's why they have Synergist in the first place."
I like helping people and when they come back with questions it's nice to be able to find the answers and just make their life easier.
What would you be doing if you weren't in this job?
"If I had my time again, I would be managing an estate up in Scotland somewhere. I had a bit of time up on the grouse moors last year and it was just amazing. The nature the wildlife, the whole thing. It's remote, that's for sure, but I don't mind that. Whatever job I was doing, it would definitely need to be outside.
"Saying that, in lockdown I converted a horse trailer into a mobile gin bar and called it The Liquid Pony. I had great fun behind the bar at a few weddings, birthday parties, charity events, I do miss that, so maybe I would start that again."
Any unfulfilled life ambitions?
"I worked in a racing yard at one point and had friends who had point-to-pointers and racehorses. That was fantastic. I loved it. I don't ride anymore but, I suppose if I could, that's what I'd be doing. Living up on the Scottish estate somewhere with some horses as well!"
What do you like doing when you're not at work?
"Anything outdoorsy really… walking our black lab Ben, or hanging out at the village pub!
"I’m definitely a country girl at heart but my husband is very much a city boy. His compromise was that we could live in a village if it had a good pub – and we’ve ended up with a brilliant one. It’s run by Merlin, from First Dates, and his wife Lucile, and there’s always something going on, whether it’s quizzes or music nights or different street food.
"I’ve got a good group of friends in South Africa and always love going out there. The safari is brilliant, the people and the wine! There are some beautiful vineyards."
And finally, any interesting talents or claims to fame?
"I can drive a tractor! Does that count? I've got my class A driving licence too so, technically, I can drive a wagon.
"And it’s not really a claim to fame but we recently got invited down to the First Dates restaurant for filming, which was brilliant, so it will be really interesting to see what that’s like when it comes out later on this year."
