Chloe Mackay of VOIS talks to Rhys Elis Jones about becoming itSMF UK Young ITSM Professional of the Year 2025. In this Q&A Chloe shares her journey into ITSM, reflects on her achievements, and offers honest advice for young professionals looking to make their mark in ITSM.
What is the Young ITSM Professional of the Year award?
The award recognises an individual under the age of 30 who has demonstrated an outstanding level of achievement, ability and team support in the early years of their ITSM career, and who also promises great potential for future success.
How did you feel when you won, and what does it mean to you personally?
To be nominated and make finalist for this award was such an honour in itself. So, when I was announced as the winner at the awards dinner I was absolutely thrilled. Personally, it means so much – I feel it really validates and acknowledges the hard work and contributions I have made throughout my three years at Vodafone. It has also been a real confidence boost knowing that my efforts have made an impression, and this has encouraged me even more within my corporate role, at the same time allowing me to advocate for young professionals particularly in ITSM.
How did you first discover ITSM and what was your first role?
ITSM actually discovered me! When I joined Vodafone’s Level 6 Project Management Apprenticeship scheme, I was allocated to the Software Asset Management (SAMaaS) team which sits within the Digital & IT Service Management department. Looking back, I am so unbelievably grateful not only that I received the apprenticeship offer at Vodafone, but that I was placed in this fantastic area. The support and opportunity I have been given in my few years here have hugely helped me to display my skills, develop my confidence and progress my career, all while finding a genuine passion and interest for Software Asset Management (SAM) and ITSM.
The nature of my role has continued to evolve during my time at Vodafone, and is currently centred around governance and transformation. I strive to combine this invaluable on-the-job experience with the knowledge and skills I am receiving at university, to help me contribute to key programs and initiatives.
What have you learnt from your role?
Understanding the ITSM area has of course been one of the biggest things I have learnt, coming from no prior knowledge to understanding how each practice operates and their importance, as well as how they interlink with one another. I also quickly learnt the pace at which our environment changes and the need for adaptability, to grow with customer needs while supporting team growth.
What are your key achievements and what are you most proud of?
Some of my key highlights and achievements as outlined in my award submission include:
- Providing career and development pathways to 300 service management professionals in 9 ITSM practice areas across 11 countries by project managing the development of a career acceleration program.
- Designing and building an Azure DevOps platform to provide formalised tracking of all work, providing transparency for customers and management while creating a tangible record of value. The platform has since delivered 6,000 work packages, using Kanban boards to modernise our customer-facing offerings and further integrate technology to enhance delivery.
- Supporting the transformation of the team’s vision into a commercial structure that any global service management provider would recognise. As a result of rapid team and customer-base expansion, there became a need for change and process modernisation. My responsibilities included designing and implementing the necessary plans and controls to transform the vision into reality.
- Formalising processes, plans and stakeholder engagement which facilitated the successful onboarding of 6 markets in 3 years.
- Playing a key role in increasing organisational and commercial focus, with my actions supporting the achievements of our Level 4 PeopleCert Maturity Assessment.
- Designing and implementing new policies and processes, contributing to our move towards the ISO19770-1 certification.
- Achieving my Association for Project Management (APM) qualification while working towards my Level 6 Project Management degree.
- Obtaining ‘Top Talent’ three years running; this is an internal recognition which highlights my potential for future progression.
As well as internal achievements I am also really proud of the work I have done externally:
- I have spoken at multiple conferences, using the platform to educate and challenge organisations to diversify their entry routes for the younger generation. I’ve developed a real passion for speaking at events and hope to continue this further in wider forums.
- I have also been part of a careers fair at my secondary school to target the other side of the problems by making students more aware of the pathways they could take to become young professionals in a wide range of industries, particularly in STEM areas.
- I am a GetMyFirstJob Ambassador, where I have shared my journey online to provide visibility for other aspiring professionals to obtain apprenticeships.
- I participated in an online article which highlighted my journey as an apprentice within the SAM and wider ITSM space.
- I’ve also helped to organise conferences, making vital connections across the community and bringing varied stakeholders together for a shared cause.
What hurdles have you faced? How did you overcome them, and what did you learn?
Transitioning directly from secondary school to a corporate environment, especially while initially working almost completely remotely, was daunting. I felt like I had an overwhelming amount to learn, and at times it was hard to know where to start. I overcame this by embracing the discomfort, asking the ‘silly’ questions and seeking out and taking on every opportunity. I chose to use my potentially ‘disadvantaged’ position as an advantage, and I have learnt to leverage my unique perspective to challenge ways of working, provide new modernised approaches and contribute to important initiatives.
Another hurdle I have faced is balancing my apprenticeship alongside my university studies. It has been challenging, but through consistent dedication, self-reflection, and feedback I have developed strategies to maximise my productivity. This has ensured I have met all of my work and university deadlines with consistent and high-quality outcomes.
One of the biggest things I have learnt is that, regardless of your age, you can provide value. It may only be in small ways initially but finding opportunities to flip the narrative and provide constructive contributions allows you to demonstrate the impact you can have on traditional business processes. Persistence, resilience and support will be critical for your development.
What do you love most about ITSM?
I love ITSM’s ability to drive meaningful change and efficiency within organisations. It has been rewarding to see how service delivery is critical to teams of every kind, with ITSM ensuring end-to-end service delivery, support for user requirements and maintained alignment to organisational goals.
How do you see ITSM making a difference?
Without ITSM, organisations can be exposed to increased security vulnerabilities, compliance issues, financial losses, reduced efficiency and poor customer satisfaction. A robust ITSM department which leverages frameworks such as ITIL can offer control, supporting business stability and growth all while empowering teams to work as optimally as possible.
ITSM allows the enhancement of IT services, ensuring they remain relevant and aligned to the business strategy while offering benefits to the user community through faster resolution times, appropriate process governance, improved communication and consultancy, proactive self-service and optimised tooling and technology.
Who supported or mentored you along the way, and how have they helped shape your growth?
This topic is so important to me. Over the past few years, I have developed the strong belief that finding good people to work with is key to growth. I have benefitted from some fantastic mentors early in my career, with an incredible support network around me.
My manager Julia Veall has been imperative to my journey. Since the day I joined she has provided me with internal and external opportunities, helping me navigate new challenges and find balance, as well as championing my every success and achievement. I am so grateful for her support and honesty; from sharing her journey, to making me aware of the choices I have available for my career. Her passion in shaping the next generation of professionals is commendable, and it has without a shadow of a doubt helped to shape my journey.
Paul Cooper & Ashley Scammell, our SAMaaS technical experts, have also been key to my progression. Their extensive technical expertise across a range of topics has given me valuable insight and knowledge to support various programs and initiatives. They have been a core part of my support network from the very beginning.
This network extends to the entire SAMaaS team, as well as the wider Service Management department. The kindness, encouragement and knowledge sharing across teams and the wider department has allowed me to gain a broader insight, while building my confidence to take on new challenges. The positive team culture and collaborative environment has shaped my growth and continually inspires me to push further, while finding ways to support others.
Where do you see ITSM evolving and what excites you most about the future?
I see ITSM evolving towards automation, data-driven decision making, increased used of tooling and technology as well as more proactive approaches to drive value and modernise ways of working.
I’m excited by the potential for service management to become even more agile and impactful, supporting diverse career pathways and fostering innovation. My aspiration is to help shape this future, advocating for apprenticeships and supporting the next generation of ITSM professionals while building the next steps of my own career.
What advice would you give to other young professionals?
One of the best pieces of advice I would give is to embrace every opportunity, even those outside your comfort zone because, as daunting as it may be, growth comes from challenge.
Each opportunity can develop your skills, build your network, and support you in making positive contributions to your organisation. There is always more to learn, and continuous self-reflection, upskilling, and new experiences will accelerate your personal and professional growth.
I would suggest that all young professionals try to build resilience, display adaptability and put in the hard work. These attributes are key to thriving in challenging and dynamic environments. In addition to this, seeking out and making connections with the right people can open doors to mentorship while creating an excellent support network.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, never underestimate the value of your unique perspective. Being a young professional sets you apart from others, and learning to leverage this and become a catalyst for positive change will elevate your position.
Chloe Mackay
Chloe is a Project Management Degree Apprentice at VOIS and a GetMyFirstJob Ambassador.
