Latest news with #ValerieMitchell
The Herald Scotland
14-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow 2014 Games role best moment for Scottish company MD
Ms Mitchell, noting she previously led workforce planning for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and describing this as 'the largest peacetime volunteer recruitment drive in UK history', says: 'When people truly believe in a mission, they get behind it. Then it's your job to step up and deliver.' She adds: 'To see Glasgow so vibrant and united was unforgettable.' Name: Valerie Mitchell Job title: Managing director What is your business called? SOLVD. Where is it based? Glasgow What does it produce/do? SOLVD. provides end-to-end business support services - including payroll, finance, HR, customer experience, and reporting. We were originally created as the in-house shared services team for transport giant Abellio and have since evolved into a stand-alone business. To whom does it sell? We work with major employers across the UK, particularly in high-trust, high-pressure sectors. What is its turnover? £10 million How many employees? 150 What attracted you to your current role? The opportunity to completely turn the organisation around. It was underperforming when I joined, and I love a challenge. I saw the chance to start fresh and rebuild from the bottom up, overhaul processes, and change the culture. That kind of blank-slate transformation is rare and exciting. What were you doing before? I was director of operations at The Wise Group, leading teams across areas like rehabilitation, employability, and fuel poverty. I also led workforce planning for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games - the largest peacetime volunteer recruitment drive in UK history. When people truly believe in a mission, they get behind it. Then it's your job to step up and deliver. What do you least enjoy? Spreadsheets! Everyone on my team knows this. If you want to talk finance with me, make it a dashboard. What do you consider to be the main successes of the business? Our people. We've built a brilliant culture that drives performance. In our last employee engagement survey, 95% responded and we scored 88% - that's huge. We invest time and energy into culture: shoutouts, team briefs, one-to-ones every two weeks, 'coffee roulette' to connect with new people, and regular engagement check-ins. Everyone meets a member of the leadership team, and we support charity and employability initiatives too. It's far too easy to let this kind of thing slide, but we make it a priority. What are your ambitions for the firm? To grow beyond transport. The way we work - high-quality, personable support - has value across industries. Our partnership with St Mirren shows the potential in sport. We also see opportunity with SMEs in sectors like construction, where companies start needing structured support when they grow past 50 employees. What are the challenges facing the sector and market, and what could be done to overcome or address these? One big challenge is nationalisation – we've seen that firsthand in rail. We still support ScotRail and other operators, and we'll need to adapt to new contracts and ways of working. The other challenge is the speed of automation and AI. While it brings huge benefits, many organisations still want that real, human experience - and it's our job to integrate tech in a way that enhances, not replaces, customer care. What single thing would most help? A more balanced approach to tech adoption. AI has its place, but it's still a bit of a Wild West. We need thoughtful regulation and a pace that doesn't leave the human element behind. What is the most valuable lesson you have learned? You don't have to be an expert in everything. Hire the right people, give them clarity and support - and then let them get on with it. What was your best moment? Working on Glasgow 2014. I'm from the city, and to see Glasgow so vibrant and united was unforgettable. I was involved five years before the Games - it was huge, personal, and meaningful. What has been your most challenging moment in life or business? Starting at SOLVD. while doing my master's in business at Strathclyde. I'd just taken on a big turnaround challenge and was in a cohort full of high-flyers flown in from around the world. I was pushing myself hard - trying to earn a distinction, lead the company, and manage life as a single mum of two with a dog. Looking back, I think, 'What was I thinking?'. But I'm proud I did it. And I got the distinction. How do you relax? I love walking my dog - she's the baby of the family. I trained as a PE teacher, so I'm always active. I used to run before a knee injury, so now I do a lot of weights. Clyde Walkway is a favourite spot. What phrase or quotation has inspired you the most? 'Not everyone was born to cook - I was born to hold conversations with someone who's cooking.' It's a fun line, but it translates to business too. For instance, I wasn't born to do data analytics - but I love listening to experts talk about it. You don't have to do everything, just know how to bring the right people together and let them cook, as it were. What is the best book (fiction or non-fiction) you have ever read? Why is it the best? Let Them by Mel Robbins. I didn't expect to enjoy it - I'm not a big fan of self-help as a genre, but it had so many takeaways that stuck with me for both work and life. One line in particular: 'It's not about the hand you've been dealt, it's about how you play the hand.' That really resonated. Where do you find yourself most at ease? Anywhere by the water. One of my closest friends grew up in Arran, and I love being there - rain, shine, snow - with good people and that sense of calm. If you weren't in your current role, what job would you most fancy? Fifteen years ago I'd have said something different, but right now? Definitely a dog walker! No stress, no spreadsheets, no politics - sounds perfect. What countries have you most enjoyed travelling to, for business or leisure, and why? I went to Mauritius this year and it was beautiful - amazing food, people, and for the first time in 20 years, I truly relaxed. I stayed at a small boutique hotel with a private beach. Of course, I was by the water.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
St Mirren strategic move will make club 'robust, compliant and secure'
St Mirren FC has outsourced its payroll operations to Glasgow-based business support specialist SOLVD. in a strategic move designed to modernise its infrastructure, reduce operational risk and build long-term resilience across the club. The partnership comes as clubs across Scottish football face escalating financial pressures – with rising national insurance, minimum wage rates and energy costs adding significant strain to already tight budgets. For St Mirren, which operates under a community-ownership model, the decision reflects a wider shift in mindset: treating back-office functions with the same strategic importance as on-field performance. Keith Lasley, the club's Chief Operating Officer, said: 'In today's football economy, every part of the club has to deliver. We've got no luxury of inefficiency – not with the cost base clubs are facing today. St Mirren's Chief Operating Officer, Keith Lasley, Valerie Mitchell, Managing Director at SOLVD. and club captain, Mark O'Hara (Image: The Picture Agency) 'This allows us to focus our internal energy where it matters most. SOLVD. gives us confidence that payroll – a function that affects every player and staff member – is robust, compliant and secure. 'It's a major step forward for our team, ensuring there's no longer a single point of failure and giving us real confidence that things are being taken care of in the payroll front. It's a major step forward.' SOLVD. provides end-to-end business support services — including payroll, finance, HR, customer experience and reporting — to major employers across the UK. It was originally created as the in-house shared services team for transport giant Abellio, and has since evolved into a stand-alone company headquartered in Glasgow with a 150-strong workforce. Read more: The firm has processed over 300,000 payroll transactions annually with over 99% accuracy, and is a recipient of the Investors in People Platinum award. Its expansion into sport and education reflects growing demand from high-trust, high-pressure sectors seeking reliable back-office solutions. Valerie Mitchell, Managing Director at SOLVD., said: 'Clubs like St Mirren are taking bold, smart steps to modernise. They're recognising that operational systems – from payroll to reporting – are critical to how a club runs, how it protects its people, and how it stays resilient. Valerie Mitchell, Managing Director at SOLVD. and St Mirren's Chief Operating Officer, Keith Lasley (Image: The Picture Agency)'We're proud to support a club that shares our values and ambition. This partnership shows what's possible when operational rigour meets strategic leadership. 'And for us, it's another example of the role Scottish expertise can play in supporting complex, national-scale systems — whether that's in sport, transport, or beyond.' The club confirmed that no job losses are involved in the move. Instead, the goal is to eliminate 'single points of failure,' reduce internal pressure on lean teams, and futureproof a core function.
The Herald Scotland
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
St Mirren strikes payroll deal with business support specialist SOLVD.
For St Mirren, which operates under a community-ownership model, the decision reflects a wider shift in mindset: treating back-office functions with the same strategic importance as on-field performance. Keith Lasley, the club's Chief Operating Officer, said: 'In today's football economy, every part of the club has to deliver. We've got no luxury of inefficiency – not with the cost base clubs are facing today. St Mirren's Chief Operating Officer, Keith Lasley, Valerie Mitchell, Managing Director at SOLVD. and club captain, Mark O'Hara (Image: The Picture Agency) 'This allows us to focus our internal energy where it matters most. SOLVD. gives us confidence that payroll – a function that affects every player and staff member – is robust, compliant and secure. 'It's a major step forward for our team, ensuring there's no longer a single point of failure and giving us real confidence that things are being taken care of in the payroll front. It's a major step forward.' SOLVD. provides end-to-end business support services — including payroll, finance, HR, customer experience and reporting — to major employers across the UK. It was originally created as the in-house shared services team for transport giant Abellio, and has since evolved into a stand-alone company headquartered in Glasgow with a 150-strong workforce. Read more: The firm has processed over 300,000 payroll transactions annually with over 99% accuracy, and is a recipient of the Investors in People Platinum award. Its expansion into sport and education reflects growing demand from high-trust, high-pressure sectors seeking reliable back-office solutions. Valerie Mitchell, Managing Director at SOLVD., said: 'Clubs like St Mirren are taking bold, smart steps to modernise. They're recognising that operational systems – from payroll to reporting – are critical to how a club runs, how it protects its people, and how it stays resilient. Valerie Mitchell, Managing Director at SOLVD. and St Mirren's Chief Operating Officer, Keith Lasley (Image: The Picture Agency)'We're proud to support a club that shares our values and ambition. This partnership shows what's possible when operational rigour meets strategic leadership. 'And for us, it's another example of the role Scottish expertise can play in supporting complex, national-scale systems — whether that's in sport, transport, or beyond.' The club confirmed that no job losses are involved in the move. Instead, the goal is to eliminate 'single points of failure,' reduce internal pressure on lean teams, and futureproof a core function.
