Soulla grew up in Harrow, Middlesex. Born into a very traditional, Greek Orthodox family, there was a feeling she was destined to follow a certain path in life, however this changed at around 10 years old following her parent’s separation. She went from having a lot of attention from the family, to none at all, and this resulted in her becoming quite introverted, preferring to read fantasy books and escape the world around her. Soulla believes that this is was what fuelled her imagination and creative side.

As she went through school, and her body started to change, Soulla began to feel conscious of being different to others around her and, being of Mediterranean descent, felt culturally different to that of her peers. Although Soulla wasn’t particularly interested in college she felt pressured to enrol, but after 6 months she decided to leave to ‘go out into the world and get a job’.

Soulla found work in a family restaurant and picked up really valuable and transferrable communication and people skills; something she enjoyed and excelled at. Continuing her career in hospitality, she went on to working in a London Chiswick Bistro
as assistant manager and then on to running a pub right next to Wembley Stadium. 

An unexpected career change saw Soulla join a national HVAC distribution company as a sales desk operative and it was here that Soulla met Martin, her manager, who proved to be a support for the rest of her career. ‘He was really encouraging. Possibly my biggest fan. He supported me in my decisions and we are still in contact today. Even though I was the only woman in the whole branch, he made sure I felt respected and looked after’. Martin even supported her decision to leave the role and go to Cyprus. He said that a job would be open to her if she returned. 

After working in a bar in Cyprus for 9 months Soulla moved back to the UK, got married and had three children. She set up a business with her husband, who was an electrical engineer. The pair built the business up from scratch, employing 4 staff, and Soulla oversaw all the day to day operations. Eventually, due to changes within the sector, they found it hard to compete and the business closed down. ‘This led to a strain on our marriage and eventually the marriage broke down. I found myself alone with three kids under 4. It was a really tough time’. Wanting to build a career and get back to doing something she loved, Soulla got back in touch with her old company, she soon started a new role as a Branch Supervisor.

Soulla said ‘I knew the only way to build a better life was to train and develop’ and so she started a distant learning course at Manchester University and took every training and development opportunity that was presented to her. Just after a year back in employment, an opportunity for a branch manager role came up and, with the support of her male manager Dan, she got the job. ‘Dan was always very supportive. He helped guide me with the interview process and was always on hand to talk me through branch accounts and challenges I was facing with staff. He took time to help me be successful and I am very grateful for that.’ 

Despite challenges in her personal life, including the sad passing of her mum, Soulla made a success of the role and was soon asked to head up the company’s first Project Office, working with multi-million pound accounts and colleagues across the country. Buoyed by a new enthusiasm for work, she was head-hunted in a BDM role at global manufacturing company Danfoss. Soon after taking the role she found out she was the only female BDM, and the only woman to work in the sales side of the company…ever!  Soulla said ‘The recruiting manager had to ask permission to employ a woman!! Crazy, seeing as this was only ten years ago.’

She attended the first sales conference and said ‘it was so daunting standing up and talking about myself in a room full of men’. Soulla said ‘I found my confidence in the role though and felt accepted even though I was the only woman. Just after a year in the role, Danfoss had restructured, meaning the team I was in was splitting into 2 different teams; commercial and District Energy. Moving to district energy felt like I was staying one step ahead. It was in this role that I learnt a lot about the manufacturing processes from visiting factories across Europe and this is where I became heavily involved in the design and detail of our products and services. During this time at Danfoss, I had another strong male manager, Martyn, who mentored me and always offered great guidance and support. Ultimately he had given me all the skills required to step up into his role as Head of District Energy for the UK and Ireland’.

Soulla loved her role and it was a difficult decision to leave Danfoss after 8 years, however due to line management and business priority changes, Soulla went on to accept her new role as sales director for Guru. ‘I was so invested in my previous role, but I was ready for the next challenge. As always, I spoke to my kids and my mentor and then took the plunge! Going from corporate to SME was a big adjustment, but actually aligned well with my mentality. This role has seen me do a lot of work on the development of the sales pipeline, which has been massively successful and I have gotten the team to a place where they are in great spirits, which I am very proud of. I have always been extremely people focused and needed to work for companies and line managers who align with this. I am now looking forward to growing the business into the success I know it can be.’

Soulla was diagnosed in later life with ADHD, which helped her to realise why her mind worked so differently. ‘It’s really important to me to be transparent and open about it with employers and colleagues about my diagnosis’. She’s learnt, in her varied career, that all skills are transferrable and quite often these skills may be invaluable in different industries. As a proud mum, who has been a single parent for 14 years, it hasn’t been easy, but she urges other women wanting to progress in their careers to ‘go out there and reach for the stars. One day you’ll grab one and it’ll be amazing’.

One of the most fulfilling parts of Soulla’s career, is being the District Divas London coordinator and being a key part of the Heat Exchange Mentor Programme (HEMP). She is part of the working group and has matched over 500 mentor relationships. She has done this for five years now and really enjoys being part of people’s journey, always happy to have people reach out for advice, and has found that coaching and mentoring comes really naturally to her. ‘Everyone should have a mentor. They are invaluable relationships’.

Soulla still talks to her old managers and mentors she has been lucky to have had throughout the last 14 years, and also makes a point of keeping in contact with the people she has mentored through schemes and as their line manager. ‘People are a company’s most valuable asset and so for me, being a friend, a mentor, and a line manager all align. Having a personable approach to my work and team has been rewarding for all of us.’