You’re now the Managing Director of a thriving recruitment agency. Can you take us through your professional journey before you entered the recruitment industry?
I left school at 16 and went straight into work. A friend of mine was the manager at Thomson City Breaks in Richmond and helped me get my foot in the door. It was travel-related — I sold city breaks over the phone in a call centre and was quite successful. I eventually became the team supervisor. I really loved that job.
Part of the role meant visiting every city we sold holidays to — I’d go and test the hotels and experience the journey myself so I could sell it properly. That experience taught me a lot, and I’ve applied the same mindset to what I do now: you can’t truly understand your customer or sell to them effectively unless you’re deeply immersed in the product or experience yourself. So yes, I visited every city, Disneyland, the Orient Express — all of it. It was fantastic.
I stopped at 21 when I had my eldest daughter. After that, I set up my own cleaning business. I secured some major contracts, recruited a team of cleaning ladies, and built a successful small business.
When I had my second daughter, I wanted to learn something new — and that’s where my recruitment journey began.
Before launching your own business, you held several significant leadership roles. How has this experience helped shape your entrepreneurial vision?
I went into recruitment when I was 25. The first company I worked for specialised in temporary recruitment, particularly within the aviation sector, and I spent many years there. That’s where I developed my deep understanding of aviation and built my foundations in the industry.
Later, I moved to another recruitment agency. They were just six months old when I joined, turning over £1 million at the time. By the time I left, my division alone was generating £19 million in sales. I had progressed to Regional Director and was heavily involved in scaling the business.
Aviation security and temporary recruitment have always been my specialism, and I invested a lot of time and energy into growing that business. But eventually, I reached a point where I wanted to run my own business. My initial plan was to set up an aviation security training company — and that’s where AVTAV began.
During my time in the industry, I’d noticed a number of gaps — particularly around aviation security training. At my previous company, we used to outsource it, and I regularly witnessed compliance issues and shortfalls in standards. I had a clear vision of building an all-inclusive, high-spec business that could deliver fully compliant recruitment and training services without cutting corners. And the only way to truly guarantee quality and control — is to have full control.
So, at 40, I went back into education. I completed my A Levels in Education and Training, became a certified trainer through the Department for Transport, and launched AVTAV as a CAA-registered training provider — from my front room.
It was during the pandemic, and the timing played a big role. While many businesses were closing, we were setting up. The world was quiet, and it gave me space to focus. I used those two years at home with no distractions to formalise a master plan — and executed it when the world reopened.
I started to build a team. I paid the first employee out of my own pocket for a year. Then, I brought in business partners. And although I’d set out to focus purely on training, I couldn’t stay away from recruitment — it’s in my blood. I naturally returned to it, and added it to what ultimately became the full-service business that AVTAV is today.
How integral has your family’s support been throughout your business journey?
Incredibly important. I’ve been lucky to have people around me who genuinely empower and believe in me. When I decided to set up AVTAV, both my husband and my brother were right behind me. My husband is a strategist, so he supported me with clarity and planning. My brother also believed in the vision and invested in the business.
Our business partner Taurai, who came in as Financial Director, also believed in my vision — and together, we formed what I’d call a master key alliance, as Napoleon Hill would put it. That collective belief helped me believe in myself even more.
My mum has always been a huge support. And my daughters — they honestly believe I’m Superwoman. And because they do, I’ve come to believe it too.
That kind of support is everything. It matters for your personal well-being, your professional well-being, and your growth. Because truthfully, if you want to build something meaningful — you can’t do it alone.
“If you want to build something meaningful - you can’t do it alone. “
Balancing career and motherhood is never easy. How did you navigate parenting while building your career?
It definitely wasn’t easy. When my daughters were young, I went out into the world of recruitment — supported by my mother, without whom I couldn’t have juggled it all. She helped with school pickups and contributed so much to their childhood — days out, picnics, theatre trips — all the moments that matter. She’s been a wonderful role model in their lives, and it’s built an unbreakable bond between them.
Do I regret it? No — but I do sometimes reflect on the hours I wasn’t at home. Still, I wouldn’t change anything. I was their provider, and building a future for us was my determination.
When they’re little, it feels like they’ll stay that way forever — then suddenly, they’re teenagers. But no matter what, being a mum is my most important role in life.
My biggest motivator has always been to inspire my daughters — to show them, by example, that a woman can do it.
Are your daughters like you?
Definitely. My eldest, India, is 25 now. She grew up listening to me on the phone, recruiting. When we set up AVTAV, she came on board and worked her way up — she’s now our highest biller. People often say it looks effortless for her — and in many ways, it is. She’s been indirectly trained her whole life.
My younger daughter, Olivia, 21, is also part of the business. She’s been close to my career from the beginning, although she’s naturally more drawn to — and skilled in — the behind-the-scenes operations. She currently works within AVTAV’s finance department and supports a wide range of business activities.
They both bring their own strengths and personalities to the business, but they absolutely share my ambition. We’re a family business at the core — and I’m incredibly proud of that.
Leadership can be learned, but some people seem born for it. Would you say you’ve always been a natural leader?
Yes — I’d say I’ve always followed my instincts rather than what I was told. My father was an entrepreneur, and so was my mum. Neither of them ever worked for anyone else.
My mum ran a catering company, moved into events, and later earned a degree in psychotherapy in her 40s. She went on to work at the Football Association for 30 years as a psychotherapist. She built an incredible career for herself later in life, and that’s been a huge inspiration for me.
We’re all quite self-motivated in my family — maybe a bit rebellious too. I didn’t do well in school because I didn’t attend often. I never went to college or university. I started working at 16 and just figured things out from there.
In any group I’ve been part of, I’ve always naturally stepped into leadership roles. So yes, I’d say I’m a natural leader — it’s always been in me.
Your company has a strong female workforce. Do you feel a sense of responsibility as a role model to the women in your organisation?
That’s always been my dream — to build a strong, empowered female team. I’ve worked in male-dominated environments where I felt additional pressure, and I knew I wanted to create a space where women feel safe and supported — where being a mother or needing flexibility doesn’t block success.
We have a relaxed, trusting environment where everyone has autonomy. I believe in giving people space to express themselves and shape roles around their lives. Take Simone, who works in our training team — she has five children but that hasn’t stopped her following her career dreams and recently completed her degree first in Aviation Management. We created a position that works for her life, because why wouldn’t we? Women bring so much to the table.
We’ve also got brilliant young women here. They know they don’t need to fear losing their careers if their lives change. We have many women in our business, and I take that responsibility seriously. I’m here to support each one of them to get wherever they wish to go — whatever that looks like for them.
Do I feel a sense of pressure? Yes — there is some, because they believe in me, and I’ve made promises. That means something.
Vasilena joined me during the pandemic, when AVTAV was just a concept. I had no office, just a plan — and she trusted me. She had just finished her Aviation Management degree and came to work for me on very little pay. She was 21 at the time. Today, she’s 26 and our Aviation Security Manager. I took her on a journey, but really — she believed in me, and I believed in her. My vision is to see her take a seat at board level one day.
For me, being a business owner isn’t just about strategy — it’s about people, and it’s about life. I want everyone here to feel like we’re in this together. This is our company. I’m not the boss — I just have a different responsibility.
Running a business is not easy. How do you deal when things get tough?
We work in a people-driven industry that’s shaped by legislation, regulation, and constant change — so yes, things do go wrong. But I’ve learned that I’m at my best in a crisis. It’s probably my biggest strength.
I stay calm, I focus on the solution, and I don’t pass pressure down the line. That’s never been my style. I want the team to feel supported — not stressed.
Of course, I have expectations of the team. But my role is to help them face pressure in a positive and effective way — because that’s how we truly grow and build.
As the leader, I take that pressure on myself. That’s part of the job.
What are some of your favourite ways to relax and maintain a sense of balance outside of work?
My husband and I run two recruitment businesses together — I lead AVTAV, and he leads Complex — so recruitment is definitely a regular topic of conversation in the early hours. But we’ve also learned how to switch off, leave work outside, and enjoy life.
Family time is how I recharge. Whether it’s with my mum, my husband, my daughters, or my brother and his family — being surrounded by them helps me reset.
We’ve also got quite a few dogs and are both very passionate about them, plus gardening, walking, and spending time in nature. Healthy eating and cooking play a huge role in my life too — it’s something I genuinely enjoy and find grounding.
I also love to travel as much as I can, though I haven’t had much time for it this year. But I often remind myself: I built this for freedom — so I make sure I enjoy it.
One of my favourite things is spending time with my mum and aunt — whether it’s a trip to the cinema, dinner out, shopping or stories of our family and my Italian Grandmother whom we all adored. That’s joy for me. That’s balance.
“My dream is to be recognised as a business that cares for its people and leaves a lasting mark.”
Looking ahead, what’s next for you and your growing business?
AVTAV is on the right path. We’ve spent the last five years building solid infrastructure, growing a strong team, and establishing real brand awareness. Now, we’re entering the next stage — expanding into more UK airports and scaling our national presence.
We’re also expanding our aviation security training division and launching an online Learning Management System (LMS) to make high-quality, compliant training more accessible to clients and candidates alike.
Alongside that, I’ve launched a separate permanent recruitment company called Permstop, which focuses on the construction, aviation engineering, and tech sectors across the UK and US.
I’ve realised that I truly love the building phase of business — that’s where I thrive. So the goal now is to continue growing AVTAV, build another standout brand, and expand the team further.
We’ve retained most of our original team — some of whom have worked with me for over 15 years — and that, to me, is a real testament to the relationships we’ve built.
My dream is to be recognised as a business that genuinely cares for its people, builds meaningful careers, and leaves a lasting mark — not just commercially, but culturally too.
Finally, what message or advice would you offer to young women—or anyone—wanting to start a business?
Do it. That’s it. There’s no perfect formula — you’ll find your own way. But mindset is everything.
Educate yourself on mindset. Understand what’s truly possible if you believe in it. Let go of the old beliefs that no longer serve you. Keep your plans to yourself if you need to. Stay focused.
And above all — believe in yourself. That’s where everything begins.
