"The biggest opportunities are usually just outside your comfort zone."
A childhood fascination with aviation.
When Lisa King was growing up near Stansted Airport in Essex, she thought she already knew what her future looked like.
“I wanted to be an Air Traffic Controller in the RAF,” she says.
Her interest came from the people around her. Her Dad worked at Stansted Airport, and she regularly visited him at work, watching aircraft and soaking up the atmosphere. Family trips to air shows only strengthened that fascination. Her Aunt was also an Air Traffic Controller, so conversations about aviation were part of everyday life.
“It was always on my radar,” she jokes.
At secondary school, Lisa headed to a Royal Air Force careers stand armed with a notebook full of questions. A small misunderstanding over the acronym “WRAF” was quickly corrected by the recruiter, but the exchange stayed with her.
“I remember thinking, I don’t know if this is the environment for me.”
Although it changed her mind about joining the RAF, it didn’t stop her exploring aviation. She arranged work experience inside Stansted’s air traffic control tower, giving her a first-hand look at the role she had dreamed about.
“It was an amazing experience,” she says. “But I decided it probably wasn’t for me. It was very high pressure, and I realised the gravitas of that role.”
Instead of feeling disappointed, Lisa simply realised that while she loved aviation, directing aircraft wasn’t the right fit.
A different route into work
Lisa had secured a university place to study Business and Finance, but another opportunity appeared before term began.
She was offered a place on Ford Motor Company’s management trainee programme.
“I actually decided not to go to university because this excited me more,” she says.
The programme became the perfect introduction to working life. Over two years she rotated through almost every part of the business, from the showroom and customer service to the workshop, parts department, fleet sales and car rental.
“It was a really great grounding,” she says. “I was exposed to lots of different areas at quite a young age.”
Some of the biggest lessons came from the jobs that felt most uncomfortable.
“I was literally going round business parks doing cold calling,” she says. “It was really tough, especially being a young woman in what was a very male-dominated environment.”
Those early experiences helped her build confidence, resilience and communication skills that would stay with her throughout her career.
Building a career in aviation
Lisa’s next opportunity brought her back to the industry that had first inspired her.
She joined Stansted Airport as a Marketing Assistant, expecting it to be the start of a new chapter. Instead, it became a career spanning 25 years.
Over that time, she worked across marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement, taking on a wide variety of roles as the airport expanded.
“I loved it,” she says. “The people were great. The job was great. There were loads of different opportunities.”
But after two and a half decades, she began asking herself a difficult question.
“I thought if I didn’t move then, I’d probably be there for the rest of my life.”
Rather than waiting for change to happen around her, Lisa decided to make it happen herself.
Taking a leap into a new sector
Cambridge’s Science and Technology sector was growing rapidly, and Lisa could see exciting opportunities ahead.
Although she didn’t have a scientific background, she knew the skills she had developed in aviation, marketing, communications and stakeholder management could transfer into a completely different industry.
Her move to Cambridge Consultants gave her a chance to prove exactly that.
Working for a much smaller organisation also challenged her to think differently.
“I went from an organisation with 11,000 people to one with around 400,” she says. “It was a very different way of working.”
CEO Alan Richardson helped her understand how innovative technology businesses operated, giving her the confidence to embrace another major career move.
Choosing purpose over certainty
When AstraZeneca advertised a role, Lisa immediately felt drawn to it.
“I wanted to do something that made a difference,” she says.
There was one catch.
The position was only a two-year fixed-term contract, meaning she would be leaving the security of a permanent role.
“There were no guarantees,” she says.
She took the risk anyway.
Six years later, she’s still at AstraZeneca, where she is now Director of UK STEM and Community Engagement, helping inspire young people into careers in science while building stronger links between the company and local communities.
Creating something that matters
One project stands out as a particular career highlight.
Before joining AstraZeneca, Lisa had read about a community initiative called Science in Pictures in the local newspaper.
“I remember thinking, that’s the kind of organisation I’d love to work for.”
Years later, she found herself leading the next version of the project.
“It was hugely personal,” she says.
Seeing an initiative that had once inspired her become something she was responsible for delivering remains one of the proudest moments of her career.
“I was able to make that impact.”
She also takes great satisfaction from creating opportunities for other people.
“It’s really rewarding to be able to give people that opportunity.”
The people who shaped her
Looking back, Lisa can point to several people who quietly changed the direction of her career.
It started with her Year 5 teacher, Mrs Banks.
“I was naturally quite quiet,” she says. “She gave me the confidence to contribute more.”
Later, her first marketing manager at Stansted Airport showed her that successful leadership didn’t require changing who you were.
“She taught me you could achieve that level without trying to be someone you’re not.”
At Cambridge Consultants, Alan Richardson helped her understand how smaller technology businesses worked and supported her as she adapted to a completely different environment.
Each mentor gave her something different, helping shape the leader she would become.
Looking forwards
Lisa isn’t someone who spends much time dwelling on the past.
“I don’t look back. I always look forward.”
She believes every opportunity, planned or unexpected, teaches you something valuable.
Her advice to young people is simple.
“Be yourself.”
“Don’t try to be someone else that you’re not.”
She also encourages people to embrace opportunities that feel uncomfortable.
“Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone,” she says. “That’s actually when you learn the most.”
And above all, remember that growth rarely happens where everything feels easy.
“The biggest opportunities are usually just outside your comfort zone.”