Bay Tree VA Appoints Louise Harbidge as Director

Bay Tree VA has announced the appointment of Louise Harbidge as Director – Operations & Team Engagement. A longstanding member of the team, Louise has played a pivotal role in the business for over 14 years and will now join Founder Jane Cattermole in steering Bay Tree into its next chapter.

Louise began her career in Client Services within the Legal IT sector before moving into Operations at a Sixth Form College. After the birth of her two daughters, she transitioned to virtual assistant work to gain more flexibility and joined Bay Tree in 2011. Since then, she has built a strong portfolio of clients while contributing significantly to the Operations team, overseeing recruitment, onboarding, resource management, and supporting the strategic development of the business.

Speaking about the appointment, Jane said:

“The nature of this business means we must stay one step ahead of working culture to remain an attractive alternative to traditional resourcing. The pace of change and the growth of outsourcing have led to a need for a more holistic strategic approach without losing sight of the purpose of Bay Tree that I committed to at the start. Using technology, with a flexible resource for a good work/life balance is still the goal for our clients. Louise has a particular interest in mental health and wellbeing so we can expect more focus on that both for our team and our clients. This appointment brings an added layer of resilience to our structure and I’m excited about this new phase for Bay Tree. I look forward to working on further plans for the business with Louise who knows the company so well and has been a trusted business partner for many years now.”

Louise, who lives with her husband James and their two teenage daughters, reflected on her journey:

“I’ve always adapted my work to be present for my family when they’ve needed me. Bay Tree made that possible, for me and many others. The work/life balance we champion is something I deeply believe in. That said, I expect to be busy! There’s a strong pipeline of opportunities as traditional working models shift and outsourcing becomes more mainstream.”

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