At Vantify, our people are at the heart of everything we do. Investing in talent is what we do best which is why we always want to help our people grow and progress. For Jen Burton, the journey from Client Success Manager to Head of Client Services is proof of what happens when ambition meets the right environment. Her story is one of earned progression, deliberate growth and a leadership style built entirely on people.
Before Vantify: A decade of leading people
Before joining Vantify, Jen spent a decade working in hospitality operational management, overseeing teams of 60 to 70 people across high-turnover outlets. It was demanding, people-heavy work which she absolutely thrived in.
During that time, she completed a Level 5 Operations Business Manager apprenticeship. After this experience, Jen felt like she needed a new challenge, so she took a leap and made the move into compliance and property management.
“It was interesting. It was nice to come into a new role and [learn about] property management, the buildings, the health and safety side of things. So, I found that quite insightful.”
She joined the business as a Client Success Manager, a role that required a NEBOSH qualification on entry; since she already had her Level 6 NEBOSH certificate, she realised that this could be the perfect opportunity.
“I wanted to build on that knowledge,” she says. “There was a lot of on-the-job learning, which I don’t think people realise, but I learned quite a lot on the job through picking up queries.”
She completed her NEBOSH diploma in January last year, a milestone she is especially proud of.
Finding her feet: the CSM years
Jen spent just under two years as a Client Success Manager, supporting tier one and tier two accounts and building client relationships from the ground up.
"Every account has different priorities, so some of the accounts we managed, they might have been led by water or health and safety, whereas [my big tier one client] was really led by fire. That was a really good eye opener and learning curve for me.”
It was here that Jen developed the technical depth and client instinct that would define her next chapter. Rather than just responding to issues, she learned to anticipate them, a quality that would prove essential in the role ahead.
“I think at the time it was exactly what I needed to develop my skill set, [and] obviously get me where I am today.”
Stepping up: Head of Client Services
Jen moved into her current role as Head of Client Services in her third year at Vantify, returning to the people management she had always been good at. She now leads a Client Success Executive team alongside two newly created Client Success Representative positions, a move which has significantly strengthened the department.
The transition was not without its challenges. The team she inherited was operating on outdated processes and were largely out of sync with many other facets of the client success world.
“It was a blessing when I took over the team [as] they were [using] very old processes. I’d say [they were] very stuck in their ways and [I needed to] bring them up to speed with what Vantify is [today]”
But Jen approached it methodically. Rather than overhauling everything at once, she focused on incremental improvements such as merging inboxes, restructuring phone rotas and working from home days, and introducing shift patterns. All these small changes helped to shift the team from reactive to proactive client engagement.
“I think all those small wins have equated to a larger win, if that makes sense. Watching them come on that journey and seeing the progression [the] team, I think to me that would be my largest win.”
Emerging as a leader: guiding the team with purpose
What stands out most when speaking to Jen is her philosophy on people management. She is not interested in being the person who knows all the answers. She is interested in developing people who can find the answers themselves.
“I’m not saying [they] don’t rely on me, [because] of course I’m always here to help, but you’re making them think for themselves. [I like to ask them] how would you handle this [situation] and I’ll watch you do it. And I suppose this approach makes for an easier world in general”
One of Jen’s true strengths is getting the best out of her team. Although she describes them as being completely different people, she believes that difference is what makes them stronger together.
“I think they’re all so different and [that’s] what really makes a great team. I think you need to harness the skill set across the board to really make them grow, which I think they are doing since I’ve taken over the team; you can now see them working together instead of in silos.”
Jen has also had to grow herself. Moving into a senior leadership role brought its own learning curve, particularly around commercial thinking and stakeholder communication.
“I'd say I've increased my knowledge on commercials. So I think how we drive the client to align with our commercial vision; we [always] have to make the decisions that align commercially. So that's been an eye opener.”
Stepping into a new leadership role, Jen was candid about the weight of imposter syndrome in those early months. Sitting in meetings, she would question whether she was supposed to be there at all. The shift came when she learned to back herself, to recognise that she had worked to get there and that her voice carried weight.
“ I think a big one is the imposter syndrome. You are in meetings thinking and almost feeling like you shouldn’t be there. And then you have to remind yourself — no, I have worked to get here. I do know why I am here.”
Why Vantify, and what keeps her here
“I think it’s a really inclusive place to work. I think everyone that I speak to [always] want to help. Everyone’s helpful [and] friendly. It’s [also] flexible as well and it’s an open place to work, which I think is really fantastic in today’s day and age.”
Jen is more than three years into her time at Vantify, and she shows no sign of slowing down. She cites progression, continuous learning and the calibre of the people around her as the reasons she has stayed in the company. As for what comes next, Jen wants to continue to grow within the business and is particularly energised by the possibilities ahead.
“I’m open to any opportunity. But for the time being, I suppose just growing and progressing within this business and seeing where that takes me next, because I’m quite open to options.”
Jen Burton did not reinvent herself to get where she is today. She built her career the same way she approaches her work: methodically, purposefully, and with a genuine commitment to learning at every stage. This story reflects exactly what Vantify stands for: a place where showing up, asking questions and caring about people will always take you somewhere worth going. Jen is exactly the kind of leader Vantify needs and we are so grateful that she is part of our team.
“All you have to do is show a desire to want to progress and they really put their time and effort into people, which is fantastic. I think it’s important to want to develop your people, which Vantify seem to. So, it's a nice family we've got going on here and I think it's a good vibe.”
0203 337 3575
enquiries@vantify.com
Stepping into a new leadership role, Jen was candid about the weight of imposter syndrome in those early months. Sitting in meetings, she would question whether she was supposed to be there at all. The shift came when she learned to back herself, to recognise that she had worked to get there and that her voice carried weight.
0203 337 3575
enquiries@vantify.com