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When Christine Harper joined Simms & Associates three years ago, the company had around 35 to 40 employees – roughly half the size it is today.
She first heard about S&A through a colleague in Australia, but it was her conversations with Amanda Simms and Michiel Lely during the interview process that made the biggest impression.
What stood out was the energy behind those conversations – there was a genuine sense that people enjoyed being part of the company.
“They looked like they were having fun and enjoying themselves. So just that interview process was enough to make me go, okay, this is what I want to do.”
Finding something different
Christine started working with S&A from Australia, shortly before moving to the UK. Despite the time zone differences, she quickly noticed how supportive the global team was.
“Everybody helps everybody else all the time.”
That first impression has stayed with her. Even as Simms & Associates has grown, Christine says the same sense of pride and willingness to help remains.
“Even though we’ve gotten bigger and our toolkit has changed a little bit, that baseline hasn’t changed at all.”
A moment of realization
One of the moments that has stayed with Christine happened around eight or nine months after she joined.
After finishing a meeting, she simply sat back and realized how happy she was in her work.
“I’m loving my job. I’m loving what I’m doing. I’m loving the challenges that are coming my way.”
For Christine, that feeling was unusual – and it has remained.
S&A continues to challenge her, while also giving her opportunities to grow. She joined as a Solution Architect and has since moved into project management and taken on a team leader role.
A culture worth protecting
Having worked in consultancy roles before, Christine says S&A showed her that consultancies do not have to behave in the way she had previously experienced.
People support one another, celebrate successes together and rally around each other when things do not go to plan.
“We celebrate the wins and we commiserate together when stuff doesn’t go right.”
For Christine, the culture remains one of the most important parts of Simms & Associates. She describes it as honest, open, caring and fun.
“It’s precious and I think we all want to hold on to that.”
Looking ahead
Three years on, Christine says S&A is unlike any other job she has had: challenging, enjoyable and full of opportunities to try something new.
As Simms & Associates celebrates its tenth birthday, she is equally positive about what comes next. As she puts it: “The sky’s the limit. We could go anywhere and do anything.”
For Christine, that confidence comes from the people behind the company – and from seeing S&A grow without losing the culture that made her want to join in the first place.