As part of Instant Impact’s partnership with Women in Tech, we sat down with Jessica Morgan, Instant Impact’s Chief Transformation Officer, to talk about her career journey, her approach to leadership, and the role technology and culture play in shaping a more inclusive future.
Instant Impact supports mid-sized businesses to hire smarter and grow faster, combining in-house expertise with smart technology, a focus Jessica helps drive through her work leading transformation. She is also the first woman to join the Instant Impact C-suite, a milestone achieved not through quotas, but through impact.
A Career Built on Change
Jessica’s route into tech leadership didn’t follow a straight path. She started her career in management consulting, focusing on process improvement in manufacturing and engineering. Over time, she began applying those same principles, identifying inefficiencies, designing better systems, in other sectors like finance, energy, and eventually, tech.
“One of the things I loved about consulting was how varied it was,” Jessica said. “You’d go from working on a production line to helping a bank redesign its internal workflows. But over time, I wanted to move in-house so I could see the long-term impact of the changes I was implementing .”
That shift brought her to roles where she could directly lead transformation within organisations, culminating in her joining Instant Impact to build and lead its transformation function.
Leading with Clarity and Autonomy
At Instant Impact, Jessica’s role is broad: overseeing internal transformation, shaping the company’s tech partnerships, supporting delivery teams, and mentoring her own team. She also leads Instant Impact’s Innovation Hub, where her team takes a product-thinking approach to trialling emerging tools, especially in the AI space, to see where they can create meaningful impact.
“We’ve experimented with loads of tech,” she explained. “Some of it works and we scale it, and some of it doesn’t, and that’s fine. The point is to trial fast, learn, and adapt. That’s how you find the best solutions.”
No two days look the same, but her leadership style remains consistent.
“I want my team to feel real ownership over what they’re building,” she said. “If I step in and dictate everything, it stifles growth. So, my approach is to set the direction, give context, and trust people to figure out the best way to get there. That creates better outcomes, and a more motivated team.”
Jessica also spends time working with clients, helping them navigate transformation in their own environments. “Often that means embedding technology in a way that improves productivity and reduces friction. Where we’ve rolled out new tools and processes, we’ve seen around a 20% boost in efficiency. That’s meaningful.”
Being the First — Without That Being the Focus
When Jessica was promoted to the C-suite, she became Instant Impact’s first female board member. But it wasn’t framed as a diversity milestone internally, and she sees that as a positive.
“There was no discussion around gender during the process. I was promoted based on the impact I’d had and the value I could continue to bring. I think that says something really positive about the culture here,” she said.
That doesn’t mean the milestone is without meaning. “It’s still important to have visible role models, people who reflect the diversity we want to see in leadership. I hope that by being in this role, I can help others feel that leadership is something they can step into, too.”
Inclusion Starts with Understanding
When it comes to fostering inclusion, Jessica focuses on the day-to-day practices that shape how teams work together.
“For me, it’s about understanding how people operate best, what motivates them, how they like to structure their day, what support they need,” she said. “Inclusion often comes down to being flexible and human. If someone likes to work out in the morning and starts later, great. If someone else thrives on structure, we support that too.”
This approach extends to the broader company culture. “We don’t differentiate when it comes to flexibility or development. The same expectations, trust, and support are available to everyone. I think that’s one of the reasons people feel they can grow here.”
Supporting Women in Tech, Without Making It About Gender
While Instant Impact doesn’t take a gendered approach to policy, it does actively support women through internal networks, mentoring, and external partnerships, including this one with Women in Tech.
Currently, 55% of the team identify as women and 45% as men. At the director level and above, the split is 33% women to 67% men, figures the business is aware of and working to improve over time.
“We’ve got a strong overall gender balance, and we’re continuing to focus on representation at senior levels,” Jessica said. “We also have flexible working policies that support people through different life stages, whether that’s parenting, remote working, or other commitments.”
In her own role, Jessica helps mentor and support emerging leaders, not only through formal programmes, but by being visible and accessible. “Sometimes just seeing someone like you in a leadership role makes a big difference,” she added.
Advice for Women Moving into Leadership
Jessica is clear that you don’t need to feel 100% ready to take on a leadership role.
“I think women often wait until they tick every box before going for the next step. But the reality is, you’ll grow into it. Taking a role that stretches you is one of the best ways to develop.”
Her second piece of advice? Don’t be afraid to move around.
“Every time I changed roles, I learned something new – about myself, about different industries, about leadership. It’s okay to make a change when something isn’t working or when you’re no longer growing.”
Embedding Tech and Enabling Change
Looking ahead, Jessica sees a growing urgency for organisations, particularly in recruitment and HR, to move from experimenting with technology to embedding it meaningfully into how they work.
“There’s been a lot of interest in AI, but until recently, most companies were stuck in pilot mode. That’s changing,” she said.
According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index Annual Report 2025, 82% of business leaders believe this is a pivotal year to rethink strategy and operations. Already, 24% of organisations have deployed AI at scale, and 81% expect AI agents to be moderately or extensively integrated into their company’s strategy within the next 12–18 months. The era of “Frontier Firms”, businesses reshaped by AI and tech innovation, is fast approaching.
At Instant Impact, the transformation team is working to stay ahead of that shift. According to Microsoft’s Work Trend Index Annual Report 2025 “Research suggests that by 2027, up to 80% of today’s tasks could be performed by generative AI, and many of those are core tasks,” Jessica explained. “That’s not something we can afford to be passive about.”
To prepare, the team is investing in skills mapping and future-focused transformation. “We’re building a skills ontology to understand where technology is going to have the biggest impact, and what capabilities our people will need to succeed in that world,” she said. “It’s not just about plugging in new tools. It’s about rethinking how work gets done.”
This approach, blending tech adoption with thoughtful change management, is already shaping how Instant Impact supports clients and structures its own teams.
Final Thoughts
As the tech industry continues to evolve, inclusive leadership and forward-thinking approaches to transformation will be key to creating workplaces where everyone can thrive. From embracing new technologies to investing in people and skills, the organisations that succeed will be those that build with diversity, flexibility, and long-term impact in mind.
Partnerships like Women in Tech play an important role in sharing these stories, helping to highlight progress, encourage representation, and inspire the next generation of women in the industry.
