From App Support Engineer to Global Head of Tech Operations

“Everything is temporary. Fix what you can fix, let go of what you can’t, and don’t let it consume you.”

For Global Head of Tech Operations Fiona Neville, that simple piece of advice has been a steady anchor through big projects, busy periods, and the realities of being a working parent.

Based in London, Fiona has spent ten years at Third Bridge. She joined as an Application Support Engineer in 2015, when the team was just two people, and now leads a global function that spans Application Support, Desktop Support, and SaaS Operations across six offices.

Starting a new chapter at Third Bridge

Before joining Third Bridge, Fiona worked as a developer at JP Morgan in Dublin, having studied Business Information Systems at university in Ireland. The role gave her solid technical foundations, but she soon realised something was missing.

“I did pure development at JP Morgan, but I wanted a little bit more of a mixture of problem solving with direct individuals,” she says. “I wanted to help people out and still keep my technical skills.”

She also wanted a different kind of environment. “At JP Morgan there was definitely that feeling of just being number,” she explains. “I wanted to be somewhere smaller where I could make more of a difference, have my say in things, and make decisions, even if they weren’t big ones.”

That combination of people contact, problem solving, and technical work led her to Third Bridge and the Application Support Engineer role.

Growing a small team into a global function

When Fiona joined the Application Support team, it was tiny – just Fiona, her manager, and one colleague in Shanghai, supporting the company’s internal systems. Six months later, her manager moved teams and Fiona was trusted to take on more responsibility, effectively running Application Support with her counterpart in Shanghai.

Over time, Fiona officially became manager of the team and started to think bigger than just “keeping the lights on.” Her focus turned to growing the team globally so they could support colleagues around the clock. “When I started, if New York had an issue, they’d wait until the next morning for it to be resolved,” she says. “We needed better coverage.”

She grew the team across Shanghai, London, and New York to support and went on to become Head of Application Support. By the time Fiona went on maternity leave with her first child in 2020, the foundations for a global support function were in place.

When she returned, there was an opportunity to rethink how technical support worked at Third Bridge. “We had Application Support and Desktop Support as separate teams,” she explains. “They weren’t really linked. I created a team called Tech Success, which joined those functions together.”

Bringing them under one umbrella helped create more rounded roles, progression opportunities, and clearer career paths. It also meant the team could support more cloud based tools while still covering on-the-ground needs in local offices.

Today, as Global Head of Tech Operations, Fiona’s remit covers application support, desktop support, and SaaS operations. What began as a team of two is now about 30 people across six offices worldwide.

Learning what it means to lead

Moving from individual contributor to manager was one of the biggest shifts in Fiona’s career.

“As an engineer, you’re used to closing tickets and having something very tangible to show for your day,” she says. “When I first became a manager, I remember feeling like I wasn’t doing anything, because it wasn’t one specific task I could point to.”

Her manager at the time helped her through that shift. “He kept reiterating that I was doing a good job and helped me see that achievement wasn’t just about a specific task anymore or closing 15 tickets every day,” she says. “It might be moving a project forward, or being a good manager and supporting people that week.”

Now, as a senior leader, she takes a people first approach. “I try to be as human and supportive as possible,” she says. “My team are the ones doing the day to day work, helping the rest of the business with issues and making sure things run smoothly. My job is to listen, understand their blockers, and see what we can do to remove them.”

A big part of that is simplifying or automating repetitive work. “I want to remove the mundane, repetitive tasks where possible so people have the opportunity to learn,” she explains. “I’ve always tried to ask: what do they want to do, and how can I support that within their role?”

Solving problems and supporting people

What Fiona enjoys most hasn’t changed much since her Application Support days – it’s still about solving problems and making a difference.

“I love when we’ve had a really hard problem and we finally get to the bottom of it,” she says. “You implement a new process or remove ten unnecessary steps and you can see that material improvement for people.”

She gets the same satisfaction from watching her team develop. Application Support, in particular, has a steep learning curve.

“With our internal tools, you can’t join and instantly know everything,” she says. “There’s about a year where you know how to do things, but it doesn’t all tie together yet. Then one day, something clicks and suddenly someone’s the subject matter expert.”

Seeing that shift – when someone steps up, takes on more responsibility, and becomes the “go-to” person – is one of her favourite parts of the job.

Building one global team

Fiona’s role involves leading a truly global team, and from the early days she focused on making sure it worked as one unit.

“From the very start, when it was just one person in Shanghai, London and New York, we were very clear we were one team,” she explains. “They had to support each other – when you finish your day you reach out to the next office, hand things over, and it goes from Asia to London, London to New York, New York to Dallas and back to Asia.”

That handover rhythm, built on trust and accountability, has helped Tech Operations support major milestones like office openings and reopenings around the world. “My team always pulls it out of the bag with new offices,” she says. “We’ve done Dallas, Dubai, Munich and several in Asia, and we’ve never missed a deadline. I’m very proud of that.”

Championing a culture of mentorship

Continuous learning has been a constant theme in Fiona’s time at Third Bridge, including using her Personal Development Allowance (PDA) to work with an external leadership coach. “It’s helped me focus on what I can control and influence, and let go of the things I can’t,” she says. “I’d like to use it for more technical courses too, in areas like AI or cybersecurity, as the next step in my growth.”

She’s also passionate about helping others grow. Fiona runs the internal Tech mentoring programme, matching mentors and mentees across Product and Technology. “We asked the team what was missing – what would motivate them a bit more,” she explains. “What came back was that they wanted access to other individuals they don’t deal with all the time, to help with their own career progression or mentoring.”

The programme has led to mentoring relationships that continue long after the formal six month period ends. “We give people guidance, then let them set the cadence that works for them,” she says. “Some pairs are still meeting regularly years later.”

Spending a decade at Third Bridge

After a decade, what keeps Fiona at Third Bridge is a people-first culture that encourages everyone to work, learn, and grow together.

“It’s always been about learning for me,” she says. “I’ve had five different roles here, grown a team from two to 30, and there’s still so much I don’t know. I’m surrounded by some of the smartest people I’ve met, and they’re willing to share their time and advice.”

Being surrounded by good people is a big reason why she’s stayed. “It’s never everyone for themselves here. We work towards what’s best for Third Bridge,” she explains. “It’s not ‘I’m right, you’re wrong’ – it’s working together to come to the best solution.”

As a mother of two, Fiona has also experienced Third Bridge through the lens of returning from maternity leave and being a working parent.

“My experience with both kids has been really positive on the Third Bridge side,” she says. “People give you space, they explain things you might have missed while you were away, and there’s a lot of understanding that things move quickly.”

Flexibility has been key. “There’s never been an expectation that I have to be ‘on’ all the time,” she says. “If anything, the challenge is me learning to switch off in the evenings again and finding my own balance.”

Life outside work

Outside of work, life is full and fast. At the time of writing, Fiona and her family are in the middle of moving house, so most days are a mix of work, kids, and packing boxes.

When things are calmer, travel is a big focus – from glamping trips closer to home in Essex to previous family holidays further afield, like Orlando. With both sets of grandparents nearby, family time is at the centre of it all.

Advice for future joiners

A few years ago, an intern shared a piece of advice with Fiona that’s become a mantra she keeps on coming back to: everything is temporary.

“It sounds simple, but it’s made a huge difference,” Fiona says. “If I’m in the thick of something stressful, I remind myself: this problem won’t be here forever. Fix what you can fix, let go of what you can’t, and don’t let it consume you.”

If Fiona had to give one piece of advice to someone starting at Third Bridge, it would be this: you get out what you put in.

If you put the effort in, Third Bridge is a great place to grow,” she says. “If you’re willing to take new opportunities, ask for more, and put the learning in – whether that’s reading, using your PDA, or asking for advice – people will support you.”

Her own journey from Application Support Engineer to Global Head of Tech Operations shows exactly what can happen when you do.

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