International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8th. It is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women to raise awareness and inspire action towards creating a more inclusive society for all genders.
Here at PALI, our female staff consistently excel. Not only are we grateful for these members of the team, who are exceptional and continue to receive outstanding feedback, but it’s also important to acknowledge that our wonderful service is a result of the strong relationships and incredible support we receive from our service partners and clients too. These women are integral to the success of our business as PALI wouldn’t be able to provide the excellent service without them.
This year, we wanted to interview some of these amazing women we are appreciative to work alongside, finding out what this day means to them, their proudest moments, the women that inspire them and more.
Kelly McDonnell, CLSQ.
Could you kindly introduce yourself and outline your role within the company?
Hello, my name is Kelly McDonnell and I am the National Sales Manager here at CLSQ. My role is extremely varied and involves growing the business, year on year, managing the sales team and looking after our largest reseller partners and key clients. I’m part of the Senior Leadership Team which means that I am involved in bringing new products to market, any new company initiatives, and business strategy too. I’m also a non-practising Solicitor, having qualified in 2005. I spent a while working in high-street Conveyancing practice as a Head of Conveyancing before moving into the corporate sector. I’ve been working in legal indemnities for the past 7 years with over half of that time being at CLSQ.
Could you please provide an overview of the services offered by CLS and describe your collaboration with PALI.
At CLSQ we provide data, technology and insurance services across the whole property lifecycle. I’m employed by CLS Property Insight, which is the regulated legal entity that provides legal indemnity insurance for the conveyancing and estate administration process. Pali are a key partner of ours, having worked with us for well over a decade. CLSQ and Pali is a great partnership as we are both very tech and innovation driven. Pali have an integration with our ordering platform which means that their clients are able to order our legal indemnities via Pali. They were also our first partner to integrate with our market leading Variable Statements of Fact, which enables clients to precisely tailor the insurance quote to meet the needs of the case, meeting the clients demands and needs and ensuring compliance with the Insurance Distribution Directive.
In your experience, what key factors are essential for success in conveyancing/insurance?
Client service is always going to be paramount in any business. At CLSQ we are extremely proud of our NPS score which allows clients to rate our customer service on every interaction with us. We have scored a whopping 100 for the past two months running! Working with Pali we can see that this is key for them too, as we are in regular communication with their customer support team, ensuring that their clients receive timely responses and bespoke quotes within agreed SLAs.
What aspects of working at CLS do you find most fulfilling?
My role is very varied which keeps things exciting, I really enjoy developing my team and seeing them progress. I also enjoy passing on my conveyancing knowledge internally and to our partners. Pali have a strong commitment to ongoing internal CPD, and I have trained their staff on the conveyancing process and legal indemnities. I also enjoy keeping our clients up to date and educating them on legal indemnities which we do through regular webinars and Pali host these for their clients too.
What has been your proudest moment in your career?
Coming from a working-class background, I was the first person in my family to get a degree and to qualify into a profession; it was the first year that fees were brought in at universities and my Dad had just been made redundant, it was a real struggle to be able to afford my degree as he was means-tested on the previous year’s earnings. So, qualifying as a Solicitor has to be my proudest moment.
What woman/women inspire you the most?
I am so lucky to be surrounded by inspirational women every day at CLSQ. CLS is probably the most female dominated company I’ve worked at and many of our SLT are women. I have also worked with many inspirational women over the years, and I have been really lucky to have had some amazing female bosses and mentors; as well as working with women across the property sector through my time with Women in Property. I think those women that put themselves forward for leadership roles whilst balancing the demands of families and aging parents have always inspired me to be the best that I can be. As I say, there’s been a few and if they’re reading this, they will know who they are 😊
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
Personally, I like to take a moment to reflect on all the amazing women I’ve worked with, and been inspired by, on International Women’s Day. I also see it as an important day to highlight the inequalities that, unfortunately, still exist for some women in the workplace. The fact is that the gender pay gap remains around 14% which means that the average working woman would have to work for an additional two months to earn the same as her equivalent male counterpart; this compounds over her lifetime, ultimately leading to a 40% gap in pension income. Women are also under-represented on Boards by around 10%. I would encourage companies to have a read through this report and have a think as to whether there is anything they can do to close these gender gaps in their own workforce Equal pay day 2024 – tackling the gender pay gap | TUC
Vicki Jones, BBH Legal Services.
Could you kindly introduce yourself and outline your role within the company?
I’m Vicki Jones, Property Group Operations Manager at BBH Legal Services. I work within the Property Team managing the operational side of things such as marketing, resourcing, procedure and processes. It’s an interesting role because I cover so much, but this means no day is ever the same. I get to work in a multitude of areas within the department and have the opportunity to contribute to the business as a whole.
Could you please provide an overview of the services offered by BBH and describe the partnership with PALI?
At BBH Legal, we offer a range of services which cover Conveyancing, Wills and Probate and Court of Protection. We work closely with Trade Unions, Referrers and Clients across England and Wales. We have worked with PALI, particularly within the Property Department, for a number of years. Our relationship started out as we used PALI as our Search Provider, but in more recent years we have developed a solid partnership which has assisted in numerous parts of our Conveyancing Transactions.
In your experience, what key factors are essential for providing an excellent service in the conveyancing industry?
In our industry it is important to be able to move with the times and continuously improve. Whether that is focused on regulatory changes, digital advancements or improving our clients’ journey, it is important that our staff, referrers, and clients are considered at every step of those changes. Receiving feedback from our clients and our staff is invaluable, as they are always at the core of the process. However, being able to build strong relationships with third parties enables us to give ourselves a broader view of what is changing within the market and the considerations needed to reach the level of service our clients and referrers have come to expect.
What has been your proudest moment in your career?
Working at BBH Legal for nearly 20 years, there are many highlights. I am lucky to work with such a strong team and without that support my role would be impossible. Working to develop staff and make them feel empowered to grow is an area of my role which I most enjoy. Working with women who are starting out in their career or starting out with our firm, and playing even just a small part in their growth is so rewarding.
The work we have been able to do in partnership with PALI has been a particular highlight. I feel the changes within our processes have provided a new level of service for our clients. This is another example of continuous improvement, which has not only made huge changes for our staff and our clients, but for me personally has given me an insight into my role, which I could never have imagined.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
International Women’s Days means being able to celebrate the role women are now able to play in the world, which in the not-too-distant past was just not allowed to be possible. As a woman, having the choice to be a Homemaker, a business owner, a sportsperson, or a voice for change is something which should always be celebrated.
What woman/women inspire you the most?
The women who inspire me most are those close to me. Friends, Family and Colleagues – I am proud to know all of them and feel inspired every day. As a mum of a teenage daughter, it is something which is close to my heart – having strong women around who can continue to inspire, or simply celebrate each other in the big (and not so big) wins in life. I am grateful to have these women in my life and will always try to help raise them up and help them straighten their crowns.
Katharine Ellwand, Pali LTD.
Could you kindly introduce yourself and outline your role within the company?
My name is Katharine Ellwand and I am the Customer Services Manager at Pali Ltd. I have worked for Pali for seven years now. My role involves answering any customer queries, client onboarding and support, problem resolution, customer relationship management, order processing and overseeing all aspects of customer support and satisfaction, with a focus on driving continuous improvement. My goal is to ensure our clients receive the best service possible.
In your experience, what key factors are essential for providing an excellent service in our industry?
Treating customers as individuals and not taking a one size fits all approach. People have different working styles that need to be accommodated. While we boast an award-winning online ordering platform and a suite of software tools—including a quotation system, compliance tools, onboarding technology, and a fully integrated post-completion system, we understand that each client has unique preferences and needs, so we provide flexibility in our ordering process. We would never just ‘direct you to the portal’. Behind the scenes, a lot of our internal systems are powered by automation, but we emphasise the importance of blending technology with human interaction. You can count on the support of our back-office staff and my dedicated team whenever you need assistance. We recognise the critical importance of responsiveness in the conveyancing industry, and it’s something we take great pride in delivering.
What aspects of working at PALI do you find most fulfilling?
I enjoy talking to our clients each day. We have clients from all over the world and I’m happy that I get to build strong working relationships with them.
What has been your proudest moment in your career?
I would say when I became a manager. I started at the very beginning with Pali and had to learn a lot before I could take on this role. It is most definitely a challenging yet very rewarding role, and no two days are the same.
What does International Women’s Day mean to you?
I think it serves a s a reminder of how far we have come and how powerful some of our achievements are. They are worth celebrating!
What woman/women inspire you the most?
I would say I’m mainly inspired by my friends and teammates rather than women in the media. I have a friend who pushed through debilitating anxiety to become a mental health lead at a university. I found her dedication to her end goal truly inspiring. I also have a friend who will be competing alongside me at a tournament in Madrid this month, despite giving birth just 3 months ago! Her motivation inspires and bewilders me!
We are surrounded by inspirational women every single day.
We are grateful for all the dedicated women around us that add invaluable contributions to PALI and we look forward to continuing our journey together!
Thank you.
