This month, we’re learning all about Paradise Computing’s Operations Director, Karen Hobson.
I’m the Operations Director at Paradise, which means I do lots of different things like managing the accounts department, the HR department, and general day-to-day office management and I’m responsible for decision-making within the business. Alongside Kerry, we run Paradise Training, offering Microsoft, professional development and health and safety training to businesses in Northamptonshire. I've never liked a role with just one job, I like to have a variety, so it keeps my mind busy. I don't like to sit still!
Yes, and that's what's so nice about it. Normally I spend most of my time doing the accounting side of it, especially towards the end of the month. One of my responsibilities is also the approval of leave, so when someone requests time off I’ll check it with the calendar and coordinate it with the other directors and heads of department.
Yes, it involves a lot of teamwork and communication with other team members to keep the business organised and productive.
So basically, when I left school, I went straight into being a secretary, working as an assistant for a good couple of years. Then I stayed at home for 7 and a half years raising my kids.
When I chose to return to work, I decided to go into the office automation industry. I worked with one particular boss for many years, for pretty much my whole working career in South Africa, and when he started his own office automation business, I became the Operations Director. The business was a Xerox franchise, selling photocopiers and telephones and things like that. To me, it was a huge challenge and a very exciting time because we actually purchased property and set up a whole new office. That was probably one of the most exciting times of my career!
When we moved from South Africa to the UK, which was eleven – no, fourteen years ago this year, I worked temporarily in the fraud department at Barclays, before starting at Paradise as an Accounts Assistant, later making my way up to Operations Director.
When I was about three months into my new role as Accounts Assistant, the Finance and Operations Director at the time resigned, so I was thrown into the deep end straight away! I had to learn the role really quickly, but it wasn’t long after that when I began running the Training Department as well. I would say that was my biggest challenge as I had to learn things very quickly, but our MD Jonathon really helped and supported me through it.
My biggest achievement was becoming a director within the business, I’ve been an Operations Director for about 5 years now!
So, for the last couple of years, we haven’t done that much because my husband Trevor and I save up money throughout the year to go scuba diving. We bought a globe, and wherever we go diving in the world, we put a pin in it. We’ve been to Mozambique, Barbados, Greece, Antigua and Cancun so far. That’s our biggest passion, and all three of my kids dive too, we all went together to dive in Greece. We love it, it’s a totally different world under there, when you’re flying across the terrain, it’s amazing! And what I like is the silence, you can only hear your breathing, it’s really, really peaceful.
I would say Sodwana in South Africa because it’s got the calmest and warmest seas. That’s one of the nicest places that I’ve dived.
The first-ever Northamptonshire Manufacturing Week, was a dynamic and impactful celebration of the county’s thriving manufacturing sector, uniting industry leaders, local authorities, educational institutions, and passionate businesses.
Northamptonshire is gearing up for an exciting celebration of its thriving industrial sector with the launch of Northamptonshire Manufacturing Week 2024.
Paradise Computing has achieved Cyber Essentials Certification, reinforcing our commitment to top-tier cybersecurity and safeguarding client data against common cyber threats.