Iona Kelliher

At 33 I became Managing Director at Edurio, a 40-person edtech company, transitioning from startup to scale-up without losing the friendly, community-first culture that got us here. 

There are four ways I am doing this. As an individual, I lead with curiosity and authenticity, and I’m told this is paving the way for other colleagues - particularly, women - to believe they can do the same. For the company, I am helping us forge a path from a founder-led business reliant on individual brilliance, to a systems-led organisation that can thrive beyond any particular individual. Sector-wide, I work with executive leaders to improve their craft, helping them listen better to their people and enjoy the strategic advantages that brings. Finally, I keep a clear focus on setting - and achieving - realistic but ambitious goals, ensuring that I deliver commercially for the companies I work for, on time and within budget.

My role as a generalist who trusts experts to be experts has helped us achieve this - I don’t stand in people’s way, I want the best idea to win, and I want people to continuously improve their craft for the good of their career and their company.