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Headshot of Jennie Read, Head of Operations

Jennie Read

Head of Operations · she/her

Jennie is CDS's Head of Operations, leading HR, recruitment, internal IT and business operations across our 60+ person business. Her role sits across pretty much every part of CDS, from supporting people and managers day to day to shaping how the business operates, improving the systems and processes behind it, and making sure the less-visible machinery keeps working while the company continues to evolve.

Jennie's background spans both commercial client leadership and operations, giving her a slightly different perspective on the role: good operations shouldn't create more hoops for people to jump through. It should remove friction, make things simpler and give teams more time to focus on the work they're actually here to do.

In Jennie's words

I like fixing things. Sometimes that's designing a completely new process; sometimes it's looking at something we've done the same way for years and asking why it takes six steps when it could take two.

Operations can be a bit like that scene in Spider-Man where he's trying to hold the ferry together with webs going in every direction. There are always things happening behind the scenes that most people will never need to know about — and that's generally a good thing. The aim, though, isn't to become really good at holding everything together with webs. It's to build things properly so you don't need the webs in the first place.

Outside work, I'm usually making something, growing something or surrounded by dogs. I knit a lot, love gardening and will happily turn my hand to most creative projects — usually with several unfinished ones on the go at once.

What Jennie leads

  • HR and people operations across CDS, supporting our people and managers throughout the employee lifecycle
  • Recruitment and resourcing, helping the business build the teams and capabilities it needs
  • Internal IT and workplace technology, including the systems, devices and services our people rely on to do their jobs
  • Business operations, including forecasting, invoicing, operational reporting, governance and the processes that keep the day-to-day business moving

Background

Jennie joined CDS in 2019 as Senior Account Manager for Education and Professional Development, leading commercial relationships with clients including Ofsted, CIPD, Henley Business School and The Open University. In 2022, she moved from client services into operations as Resourcing & Mobilisation Manager, before progressing to Business & Project Support Manager and then Head of Operations in 2025.

Before CDS, Jennie worked across account management, project delivery, field operations, reporting and insight at Design Portfolio, The Delta Group and CPM. She started her career working with data and operational performance before moving into increasingly broad client and team leadership roles, experience that now gives her a view of operations from both sides of the business.

Outside her role at CDS, Jennie is a Trustee of The Art House in Wakefield and regularly contributes to conversations about women in technology, including speaking at Women in Tech events about leadership, career progression and representation in the industry.

Strengths

Operational strategy · organisational change · cross-functional leadership · people operations · process improvement · business systems · commercial operations · turning complicated things into simpler ones

Certifications

Business with Finance, Northumbria University · Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Diploma in Professional Marketing, Level 6 · Licentiateship Award in Personal and Professional Skills Development · Northern PoWEr Women Future List 2025 · Yorkshire Businesswoman Awards 2026 – Rising Star Award Finalist

Get in touch

Jennie is CDS's Head of Operations. Reach Jennie at jennie.read@cds.co.uk, or connect on LinkedIn.