Meet Leanne Cinderby, our new Chief Operating Officer

We’re thrilled to spotlight our new COO, Leanne Cinderby, and catch up with her about her role, goals for the business and favourite moments from the first few months at Amber.

What was your career like before starting at Amber?

“I’ve thrived in quite a diverse career over the last 25 years. I really love learning about new industries and how they work, so I’ve been fortunate to work in and learn about lots of sectors – from utilities and banking to healthcare, manufacturing, insurance and even cryptocurrency.”

“My working life started out as a Business Analyst in Centrica. I then spent a few years at Lloyds on a Leaders Development Programme where you spend 6 months in many business functions from Finance, to Marketing, to Operations and many more; this was a great experience to help me learn and appreciate the typical goals and challenges of many business functions. From there I spent a number of years in Procurement, which was great for honing analytical, commercial and negotiation skills. I’ve led various Operations teams across these sectors and spent many years working with Exec teams to shape strategy and deliver business transformation programmes.”

“Over the years, I’ve learnt that whilst business tools and techniques are really interesting and useful, it’s being able to work with people that has the most positive impact on achieving change. This is what I’ve been learning about the last 25 years – and I still am!”

What attracted you to Amber?

“I first came across Amber a few years ago through my involvement in Fintech Wales and a former colleague who had joined the business. What stood out for me was Amber’s mission.”

“I’ve always had a passion for the environment, and that drive has only grown since becoming a parent. Like many, I want to play a part in protecting the planet for future generations, and Amber offered me the rare opportunity to do that through my day job.”

“I also believe in being around smarter people than yourself to help you learn and grow; the people here are deeply knowledgeable and active in this agenda. I’ve already found myself changing small habits at home thanks to their influence.”

How has your journey been so far? And do you have any favourite moments?

“It’s felt a bit like jumping on a rollercoaster as many times as you like!  In all seriousness, I’ve always believed the best way to learn is by getting stuck in, and the past eight weeks have felt like six months of learning in the best possible way.”

“I was lucky that my first week coincided with the ‘All-In’ event. It was a fantastic introduction to the culture, the teams, and the shared commitment to Amber’s growth strategy. Those conversations have been invaluable, and what’s struck me most is the genuine passion and purpose that runs through the business.”

What does your day-to-day look like?

“I’m an early riser, so my day always starts quietly with a cup of tea, some yoga to keep my back in check, and getting the family set up. I really value the calm of the early morning; it feels like the space where I can do some of my most helpful thinking.”

“Once the working day starts, a lot of my time is spent collaborating with teams across Amber – helping clear roadblocks and ensuring we consistently deliver a great experience for our customers.”

“That hands-on collaboration is helping me learn fast and build a much deeper understanding of the business. I’m meeting a lot of people right now to learn about the business and I’m really grateful for them taking the time to help me understand how the various parts of Amber connect and work.”

What are you hoping to achieve in your time here?

“I’m really excited about helping unlock Amber’s full growth potential. The more we grow, the more impact we can have on the environment, so I’m really motivated by that. The huge extent of what we could achieve and the impact we could have feels very exhilarating!”

“In the shorter term, there are three main focus areas. One is ensuring we deliver a consistently excellent customer experience – this is critical to Amber’s growth, and to compete in this space, we also need to be able to do this efficiently. A second area of focus is our people, so I am supporting our Employee Success team to help make Amber an even better place to work. I’m passionate about creating the kind of environment where people can thrive, grow, and feel proud of what they’re building. And a third priority area is working with our Digital Enablement team to see how we can more quickly become technology led – the players in this space who crack that will win, so this is also a key area of focus for me right now.”

What do you like to do in your spare time?

“I’m happiest when I’m active, I’m not very good at sitting still, and I’ve come to fully embrace that. Most of my spare time is spent either with my family or walking, running, playing tennis, anything that involves moving around. The perfect Sunday for me is brunch with the family and a long family walk with the dogs along the coast, finished off with a film or some Netflix – perfect!