I wanted to be a bus driver - now I'm COO

From childhood dreams of driving a bus to leading operations at Urban, Joanna’s journey to becoming COO is far from ordinary.

She began her career juggling a role as a customer account manager while finishing her master’s dissertation. At just 24, she took charge of an entire department and later traded the comfort of an established company for six months at a start-up in Mallorca.

Over the past 11 years, through curiosity, commitment and a consistent drive to learn and improve, Joanna worked to become today’s chief operating officer at Urban.

We caught up with her to hear more about her journey – the pivotal moments, the lessons learned and the advice she’d give to anyone carving out their own path.

When you were little, what did you dream of becoming?

I actually had an obsession with becoming a bus driver when I was little. It seemed like the most exciting job in the world. 

For me, it’s about the impact I can make, regardless of what role I'm in. I feel fulfilled when I can be myself at work, learn new things and have the chance to make a real impact on the business and those around me.

What was your very first job? How did this shape who you are today?

Selling tickets for club nights at uni! The role definitely gave me confidence in my ability to sell and I learnt how to channel my extroverted personality in the workplace.  

What was the boldest move you made in your career? 

Pointing out failures and putting myself in a position to right-wrongs. I hold people accountable and to a high standard – both within my team and within wider circles. If I see failures, I won't hesitate to call them out.

Let’s talk about your time in Mallorca – was it daunting making the switch from an established company to a start-up? 

At the time, I was ready for a change. Having not grown up in the UK, I wasn’t sure if I saw myself settling here. Working for JetStream as a customer support agent whilst living in Mallorca was incredible, it allowed me to personally refresh myself after an intense five years of management in my early 20s.

It introduced me to the world of startups – the lack of red tape, the culture of ‘roll up your sleeves and get it done’ and the speed of growth and change. I wasn’t worried about taking a step back. I strongly believe in leading by example and demonstrating the behaviours I expect from others.

It also gave me clarity on what I wanted and what I valued – which included the informality and approachability of the unique work culture that exists in the UK – and I truly missed managing and leading. This led me to apply for Urban as the head of customer support back in the UK. 

How has your experience in a variety of roles influenced your leadership style as COO? 

I’ve never stuck to one box. I’ve moved from sales, to after-sales, to customer support, back to sales, to customer support again, to operations – and most recently, I’ve taken on managing our people and data teams. I’ve jumped from speciality to speciality, but I’ve always followed the core belief that people work for people – not companies.

I’d like to think I’m a firm but fair leader. I expect a lot but equally allow for flexibility. In start ups, you have to be able to understand what your team needs in order to help them. Really getting into the detail of understanding their role, their tools and the value you bring to them, has helped me when managing and leading my teams. The variety of roles I’ve had has given me a broad skill set that I can now bring with me into new teams and functions. 

If you could give your younger self a piece of advice at the start of her career, what would it be?

I was actually given a piece of advice by a female CFO when I was promoted to management. The advice was to remove the “I think” and “I believe” from the start of every sentence. To this day I continue to stop myself and think back to that moment before making a statement. I have to thank her for that advice, as I do think it helps with credibility (actually, scratch that – it does help with credibility!).

And finally, what would you say to someone who wants to pivot or move forward in their career, but isn’t sure how?

It completely depends on the situation they find themselves in. I always advise to observe and analyse what is happening in the company at that time. There’s times where it’s appropriate to pitch a transformation and there’s times where power comes from getting your head down, doing an incredible job and fulfilling yourself in your role at that time.

Think about what it is that makes you happy every day within work and double down on that. Advocate for yourself and find a mentor who can help you navigate any unknowns (this doesn’t have to be your manager or even someone in your company). Don’t be swayed by someone else’s journey – we’re all individuals and what motivates us (and frustrates us) is unique.