16th February 2021
Stories from an Inspiring Leader – Valerie Elliott
Valerie Elliott, Director of Client Engagement for Public Services, Atos IT Services
Valerie is the business owner of the Atos ANTZ Mentor Programme, a programme focused on changing lives. Prison leavers and those hard to reach in communities in London and Manchester are matched to Atos and customer employees for mentoring and support to access employment, education, or other community involvement, helping to prevent crime, reduce reoffending, and enable social inclusion.
Valerie operates with integrity and passion to do the right thing by everyone involved in the Programme. She does not shy away from hard decisions to drive the right outcomes for community and Atos. The Atos ANTZ long term partnership drives mutual assurance in each other’s ability and confidence. At no point does Valerie panic or make quick, uncalculated decisions. This is a real asset especially when managing an everchanging landscape where “real” people are impacted. COVID19 continues to affect every part of daily life, but it has brought Atos and ANTZ closer together. It has driven a deeper understanding of community and an increased passion to do the right thing. This has come directly from Valerie and the team she leads and has cascaded down to the Programme’s mentors. Importantly Valerie is humble; she always amplifies the collective team’s commitment, delivery and successes, and it is right that she should be recognised now for the contribution she makes and the lives she impacts in and out of work.
Valerie inspires, listens and instils trust in her team to deliver. She always brings the wider team back to the core values and principles of the Programme and why it was established ‚”to change people’s lives” Through the toughest times of COVID it was never a question of stripping back the Programme; the challenge was how to step up, adapt and overcome to ensure it continued to impact lives. Her openness and desire to drive impact allowed us to open different pathways for the Programme to continue to deliver. Valerie is always living every moment, with the ability to think ahead and identify gaps and potential barriers.
Endorsement
“Her determination and commitment has culminated in a joint programme with ANTZ that, since 2015, has seen Atos volunteers engaging with over 78 mentees and produced ¬£1 million in societal cost savings, making a tangible difference for those in receipt of the programme. But what really stands out is Valerie’s passion, not just in the delivery of the programme, but her work with the mentees to help them find jobs, gain further education and commit to meaningful roles in society, which she does with such enthusiasm. Valerie really is social value in action!”
About Inspiring Leaders
The extract above is taken from the Inspiring Leaders 2020 initiative which recognised exceptional leaders during the Covid-19 pandemic. You can download the full eBook with all the leader stories here.
Inspiring Leaders was created as a vehicle to recognize people who stepped up to help individuals, teams and organizations navigate personal and business challenges, and make a contribution to make their business, their community and the world a better place.
Due to the success of IL 2020, we have brought it back in 2021. We are now open for nominations. For more information about how to enter Inspiring Leaders, dates and fees – click here.