Louise Slavin, Head of Operations

What is your role at Modern Democracy? 

I have recently taken on the role of Head of Operations at Modern Democracy, having initially joined the company in 2022 as a Product Manager. 

What does the role entail? 

As Head of Operations, I have overall responsibility for the operational activities of the business which includes looking after our internal systems as well as ensuring the smooth and efficient delivery of election services and support. 

One of my key responsibilities is managing the relationship with our many external partners, such as our cloud partner AWS.  

Cyber security is also a major part of the job making sure that we continue to meet and exceed the required standards, with Modern Democracy recently receiving ISO27001:2022 and Cyber Essentials Plus certification. 

As we know, elections are not just one day a year. Along with my team, we are delivering by-elections all year round.

What is your favourite part of the working day? 

As you can imagine, our office can be incredibly busy, especially in and around elections as we’re supporting our customers throughout the UK. 

I love the buzz that comes with that as we’re all working together on a common task. And my favourite part is when we come together to recognise a job well done or a successful project completed.  

When we receive positive feedback from a customer, we share this with the team, and it helps us all to realise and appreciate the positive impact our work is making. 

What do you enjoy most about your role?  

For me, it really is the people around me. We are very proud of the talent and expertise of the team at Modern Democracy, and I love being a part of it.  

I really enjoy seeing others develop in their roles, and when I play a part in bringing someone along on their journey, that’s even better. 

How would you describe the impact of your job? 

When I come to work, I know that it’s not just a job but is making a wider impact, which is all about advocating for democracy. 

The products and systems that we develop are not just about driving efficiencies for local authorities. They’re also about helping the voter by providing better and easier access for them to be able to exercise their vote.