Q&A with Sophie Hart, Head of Marketing and Design

Sophie is Head of Marketing & Design at Vortexa and leads the team responsible for growing the Vortexa brand and improving the experience of the platform through design.

Prior to joining Vortexa, Sophie served as the Chief Design Officer at an AI startup, Qumodo, working on intelligence systems for counter-terrorism and child protection.

We wanted to find out what inspired Sophie to join Vortexa, what some of her biggest milestones have been to date and what she keeps an eye out for when searching for new members to join her team...

What inspired you to join Vortexa?

Over my career, I've realised that I get a lot of joy out of building things from early stages, moving fast and working in an environment where forward thinking is not only welcomed, but the norm. A contact of mine (and now colleague) Jessica, had mentioned this exciting startup that she was joining about 2 years ago, and told me about how they were working on some pretty cutting edge AI tech and that everyone she had met so far was really nice. It seemed like an amazing thing to be part of. She wasn't wrong!

''...As a team, we also have the goal of growing and refining our brand, which helps to attract new business as well as top talent.''

What would you say is the most interesting aspect of your role?

• The variety of work

• The ability to be learning something new every day

• Solving new problems with my extremely talented colleagues across the whole business

• Being part of both the product and commercial sides of Vortexa, as it feels like I'm able to influence the customer experience from end to end.

What does day-to-day life look like for you as Head of Marketing & Design? 

On the product side it can involve anything from working with the team to improve our current product, design new features, develop marketing strategies to meet whatever goal we are trying to achieve with the new feature, as well as working closely with the team on the implementation and production side.

On the commercial side, it can include any facet which helps to attract new customers and create excellent experiences for our current clients, who we want long term and growing relationships with. We do this by working with all areas of the business to produce newsworthy content, events, videos, newsletters and other digital experiences. As a team, we also have the goal of growing and refining our brand, which helps to attract new business as well as top talent.

What have been some significant milestone moments for you at Vortexa?

Too many to count! Every time a new member of the team joins, it feels like we're able to achieve more exponentially. Everyone at Vortexa brings their own unique perspective, experience and expertise, helping us to continuously level up.

''...Being part of both the product and commercial sides of Vortexa, as it feels like I'm able to influence the customer experience from end to end.''

What key qualities do you look for in new joiners hoping to join your team?

Excellent problem solvers who love to research, experiment with new ideas, measure what they've done and continuously learn and improve. I also love the fact that everyone in the team is always willing to help one another and are also fun and kind - a pleasure to work with every day!

How would you describe the culture at Vortexa?

People are hard working, fast moving and geeks in their fields (which I love!). They're also supportive and super eager to learn about what others are up to - every role is important.

Describe your working life at Vortexa in three words! 

Interesting, diverse, fun!