Lack of confidence is one of the most common concerns that keep us from achieving our highest potential. But the ones who identify it and take actions to get past such challenges truly make it big. Lucy Timms is one such inspiring human who fought all the odds and made it to the top.
The Vice President of Research Operations, HFS Research, Lucy Timms will certainly fill your heart with inspiration and a desire to grow exponentially. Lucy has been ruling industries for 30 years now. Her decades of extensive experience cover domains from economics and business to academia and entrepreneurship. However, her journey to such heights wasn’t without any hitches.
Lucy’s father passed away in a tragic accident a few days before her 6th birthday. Even though it was a tough loss to sail through, she kept up with her academics and passed school with flying colours. Lucy started her professional life as an Economist with H.M Treasury and UBS Phillips & Drew. Her work there involved advising on the national debt, debt interest payments and the European economic outlook.
She then worked in the economic development consultancy in charge of several projects for the Department of Employment, the EU, and several other businesses. Lucy even spent more than a decade working for both Gartner Group and IDC, linking city clients with updated knowledge about the latest trends in technology as the internet developed and smart mobile devices came into widespread use.
Well, that’s not it. Lucy decided to switch career paths and take up teaching as a profession. She taught in schools and colleges before moving into the HE sector with spells at London Metropolitan University and St. Mary’s University. Economics, Leadership and Entrepreneurship were her predominant subjects here. Lucy even conducted research into business models and also worked in the area of aging, particularly in relation to marketing to older people. Her idea to run a business came from the problems young people face with money and lack of basic skills.
She also holds a BA (Hons) degree in Economics, a PGCE in Secondary & FE teaching in Economics and Business, and an MSc in Sociology from Salford University. Lucy is a CMI qualified Coach and Mentor as well. She has also been passionate about women and their achievements always and has stood up for women’s rights ever since her days at school.
Her passion for work and everything she does is well reflected when she talks of it herself. Lucy says, “I have always enjoyed working and have had the benefit of working in different industries and different types of environments”. She further says that she loves learning new skills and new subjects which must be true, provided her immensely celebrated career of 30 years.
However, behind this immensely successful and fulfilling career, stands chapters like sexism and lack of confidence. Lucy admits that she has been subjected to sexism in her initial years at work. She has even struggled with lack of confidence and still deals with it to some extent. Inspiringly, today, her extensive knowledge of things and her own abilities have sky-rocketed her self-confidence.
She even shares a very powerful and practicable message for all the readers. Lucy says, “Be true to yourself in all aspects of your life”. “Don’t settle for average or make do – do the things that energise and fulfill you. If you believe it – it will happen.”
At present, she works with HFS Research which is a disruptor in the IT industry research space. They get people to think about the consequences of using AI and robotics in their businesses.
In her spare time Lucy likes to walk with her spaniel, Tommy; travel when possible and bake cakes for friends and family.