Stephanie Kelly, chief people officer for IRIS Software Group, shares her career journey in tech, and her top leadership tips.
My first job in HR happened entirely by accident. I’d just returned from travelling across south-east Asia and Australia with no money. After landing at Heathrow I walked into a recruitment agency and said: “I’ll do any job but I need to start tomorrow.”
They placed me in the payroll department at St Peter’s NHS Trust. Within a few months that temporary role turned into a permanent one in the hospital’s HR team.
After a few months, I moved on to a graduate scheme with the Burton Group, which I had arranged before my HR role because I originally thought I wanted to be a retail manager. I realised on my first day that it was not the right path for me.
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After two years I made the switch, joining a tech company in an HR role. I then moved to a large international organisation where I worked my way up to global CHRO and relocated to the US.
When I arrived in the US, I went from being a European HR manager to sitting in a corner office in the C‑suite of Chicago’s financial district. This wasn’t the only difference I noticed. The employment relationship felt different in the US. Everything moved faster and expectations were higher on both sides. People would do what you asked with far fewer questions, but if you were not giving them what they needed, they could just as easily walk out and find another job. It created a very different dynamic from the UK, where there is generally more give and take.
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I found the culture to be very egalitarian at that time: your demographic didn’t matter. I felt my voice carried more weight there than it had in the UK.
After having three children, I decided to return to the UK and look for a role in a smaller company so I could balance work and family life while staying in the tech sector. I joined a company called Torex. When the CEO retired, the COO moved to another organisation and invited me to join him there at Symphony RetailAI. I stayed until my children were a little older, and then moved to IRIS.
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HR leaders in tech need to elevate certain skills while embracing the freedom to be truly innovative. You have the space to try new ideas, fail, examine what you did, and then try again until you create something amazing. It is an environment that rewards creativity and innovation. You also feel as though you are constantly at the cutting edge, surrounded by motivated, intelligent and switched-on people who bring out your best because they are operating at the top of their game.
Working in HR in a tech company is a deeply data-driven environment where technology underpins everything. You are encouraged to use tools and systems to your advantage, and to continually look for ways to work smarter. We take a tech-first approach to every project, whether it’s an HR chatbot, a career framework or core HR processes. We ask ourselves: how can we enable this through technology? Increasingly the answer involves using artificial intelligence.
HR in tech: How to succeed
1. Make peace with the pace
Choose tech only if rapid change energises you. The industry demands constant pivots, fast learning and adaptability. Make sure this is an environment for you.
2. Understand the business
Really understand and know the business: where the organisation is now, where it aims to go, and how to help move it from
A to Z.
3. Refine your craft
Stay reflective about what works and what doesn’t. Continually adapt. Pivot when needed, and keep your skills sharp so your craft evolves with the demands of the role.
This article was published in the January/February 2026 edition of HR magazine.
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