Kjirste Coltham
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB)
MIB helps victims of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers. I am responsible for the IT and Change function. My team provides hardware and software to staff, ensures the systems are available, maintained and secure, and delivers projects to maintain and develop the services we provide.
I love the variety of people I meet, the opportunity to make a positive difference to people's working day, and also the fact that I can never be entirely sure what each day is going to bring.
I spend quite a lot of time attending meetings (in person if I am in the office or via Teams if I am at home). Meetings can be about current projects, future opportunities (where do we want to be in 3 months, 1 year, 3 years, and how might we get there). Team meetings are about keeping up to date with what's happening in each team (what they are working on, what challenges they have, what successes they've had). Executive Committee meetings are about the business as a whole rather then specifically IT. It's not just meetings. There's reading to be done to keep up to date with progress and trends in the industry and identify what we might want to look at. Following up on actions from or preparation for meetings and workshops. There are chats with my direct reports about their progress and career aspirations. We also have an active Equity, Diversity &Inclusion programme at MIB and I sponsor the Gender Equality Network which I really enjoy.
I did GCSEs and A Levels, though none of which were related to technology. In order to put off the decision about what I wanted to be, I went to De Montfort University to study European Business Studies BA, a 4-year course which required a year's study in Seville, Spain. On completing my degree (a 2:1), I was offered a position on a Graduate Trainee Programme with a Financial Services company. I stayed with that company for 21 years, changing roles about every 2 years, though always within IT. Roles included Team Leader, Project Manager, Central Support Manager, Service Management, Transformation Director and IT Run Director. After leaving, I worked for a large American bank as an implementation manager for the roll-out of a major project. Then I worked for an insurance company as the Director of IT Solution Delivery. It was there that I came to learn about the MIB and what they do. When the opportunity arose to join them as CIO, I had to pursue it!
Challenge, fulfillment, and fun, I hope, in both my personal and professional life.
If I am at home, I love cooking and baking (especially with produce from our allotment)! I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I love exploring new and favourite places (locally, throughout the UK, and further afield), and collecting a new fridge magnet while there!
Don't be afraid to ask for help; remember anyone you ask will no doubt have had help themselves in the past.