Happy International Women’s Day! We’re celebrating all the fantastic women who work at Jenx and Jiraffe.
Our female colleagues are incredible role models both within the company and throughout the wider industry. We’re so proud of the work our teams do, and this International Women’s Day is the perfect opportunity to share some of their fantastic work and share what inspires them here at Jenx and Jiraffe.
Karen Grace, HR Manager, said: “We are incredibly proud to celebrate today with the fantastic women of Jiraffe & Jenx. You are all amazing and thoroughly deserve to be part of this global celebration. Please take a moment to join together, reflect on your achievements and congratulate yourselves on inspiring the next generation of women.”
Holly Jenkins, Director, said: “We are proud of and privileged to have so many brilliant and inspirational women in our teams here at Jenx Ltd. Achievement and inspiration is at the very heart of what we do, and these women make a difference to the lives of young disabled people around the world every day.”
We asked some of the women in our business about their roles within the company and what they would like to say to inspire other women, encompassing one of our values of being ‘always supportive’.
Kerry Jones – Quality Inspector
“My daily role consists of inspecting products to meet company standards, communicating with all departments on findings, working within the team to problem solve, with an explicit knowledge of quality standards and tolerance, whilst keeping records on daily inspection logs.
“I’m inspired by the products that we make. The lives that Jenx and Jiraffe change with these products is very inspirational.”
What would you say to women wanting to work here or in the wider industry?
‘We get one life and spend a lot of it at work – so go for it!’
Emma Reiss – Project Development Engineer/Export Account Manager
“My role involves overseeing projects that cross multiple departments – this includes processes from new product introduction and post-market surveillance on the product development side of things to international regulatory compliance and IT/data protection projects from a business development perspective.
“I also manage some of our international accounts, supporting our distributors as required to develop the Jenx brand and build relationships.
“It’s inspiring working here because orders are not just regarded as ‘orders’ but a step towards improving the quality of life of a young person. Working alongside colleagues and managers who have a shared vision is great and inspires hope.”
What would you say to women wanting to work here or in the wider industry?
“Consider taking the opportunities that come your way, even if they’re slightly different to what you expected from life and have confidence in what you do. Don’t pay attention to negative voices. The wider the range of experiences you can build, the richer your career will be!”
Abigail Gage – Product Advisor
“I provide advice on postural support for children and adults with postural needs. I work closely with care teams, therapists, and families to overcome the challenges living with a disability can present. I aim to help support the client towards their goals, be it sitting for longer or walking for the first time.
“I may meet them in their home, school, or hospital depending on where they are along their journey. My day consists of driving around Southeast London, Sussex, and Kent, with my van full of equipment for the clients I will see that day. I get to meet amazing people all day long.
“Jenx and Jiraffe have a unique formula – we really are all in it for our clients. Jiraffe always strive to provide the best possible care to the end-user, and this, in turn, allows me to do my job, supported and driven to do the right thing. Our work ethic is powerful and empowers me forward in my role.”
What would you say to women wanting to work here or in the wider industry?
“Go for it; you won’t regret it. Don’t be alarmed by the male dominancy within the industry; women are smashing it and CAN do this job.”
Jen Thraves – Product Advisor
“I assist children with their postural needs by providing specialist equipment to help children fulfil their goals and live their lives to their full potential. My day consists of travelling in and around London, visiting many different schools, working with therapists, and meeting lots of fantastic children.
“Jenx/Jiraffe inspire me daily because of the type of work we do. Providing our service to help others in need, all around the UK and worldwide, is fantastic.”
What would you say to women wanting to work here or in the wider industry?
“With everyone working towards the same goal – which is to help support as many children as we possibly can – there’s a community feel. Although I’m not working from the Jenx/Jiraffe headquarters, I still have the feeling of community and support, which is nice.
“Equal opportunities and inclusion for all make working here a joy, and I would encourage any woman to apply and work here in a workplace that provides great support, a safe space and encouragement to reach your full potential.”
Maddy Palmer – National Commissioning Manager
“In my role, I look after our Key Account customers, helping them with pricing and packages, writing tenders and meeting their staff.
“As a member of the Sales Management Team, I also work hard to make things run better in our sales function. Currently, I am recruiting some new posts to take some of the sales administration tasks away from our Product Advisors and free their time for appointments.
“Whether it’s a Product Advisor doing assessments, someone working on the injection moulding machine in the factory or me working on spreadsheets in the office, every person in our company changes our user’s and their family’s lives every single day!”
What would you say to women wanting to work here or in the wider industry?
“Like many people here, I fell into the industry through a happy accident. But one of the fantastic things about working here is that if you have talent and work hard, make suggestions, and work to make things better; you will be given opportunities to progress. This is a company where you can affect real change, and that’s one of the reasons why I’m so proud to be part of Jenx and Jiraffe.”
Harper Shillam – Senior Customer Support Advisor
“I provide technical, after-sales, export, and purchasing support for our customers, so I am often in contact with physios, practitioners, and parents, working to make sure they can access the support they need before and after ordering our equipment.
“The equipment we provide is vital to the children we work with in terms of their wellbeing and development. We work very hard to make sure that each piece of equipment is suitable for each child.
“Being in a public-facing role within Jiraffe, it is particularly inspiring to hear the times when our hard work pays off and makes a child’s day. It is always so inspiring to hear gratitude and well-wishes from anyone we speak with, from therapists to parents.’
What would you say to women wanting to work here or in the wider industry?
“I came into the industry from a childcare, arts, and humanities background, so joining a STEM industry was a big challenge. However, I have learnt a lot, and with the proper support, I surprised myself with just what I can do and what my potential is!
“On this International Women’s Day, I would like to say to other women looking to work here or in the wider industry that it is very much possible to do so with the right drive and desire.”
Roshida Khanom – HR Administrator
“My day-to-day consists of supporting HR and payroll processes including recruitment, maintaining accurate and up-to-date records on the HR database, supporting staff with enquiries and advice, processing staff benefits and all administrative support to manage the employee life cycle.
“Jenx is a company that provides progression and development opportunities for its employees, and I have particularly benefitted from this as I joined the company as Office Administrator and then went on to complete a CIPD qualification which the company fully funded. This enabled my professional development and helped me gain the skills and confidence to grow in my role in HR.”
What would you say to women wanting to work here or in the wider industry?
“Jenx is an inclusive place to work where growth and development are encouraged. They have a people-focused culture and support flexible working.”
Katy Furlong – International Marketing Executive
“My role consists of promoting our product and brand globally, supporting our distribution partners to offer our products in their territories, along with internal company communications for employee engagement.
“Every day, every employee is working towards the same goal of providing equipment to children around the world to help towards a better quality of life for that individual and their family, and there is no better motivation or inspiration than that.”
What would you say to women wanting to work here or in the wider industry?
“Having joined the business as a graduate five years ago, I have first-hand experience of the support and growth opportunities Jenx offers to all its staff, allowing me to develop both professionally and personally. I would recommend working here to anyone who is interested in applying for a wide variety of roles offered within the company.”
If you’re interested in joining the team at Jenx/Jiraffe, find out more here: https://jenx.com/careers/
