Mobile: 07979707898 - Email: nightingalee68@gmail.com - Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-nightingale-0329917/

 

A strategic, human-centred leader with 25+ years’ experience delivering best-in-class digital and omnichannel experiences. A creative problem-solver with a proven track record of driving customer satisfaction, commercial growth, and insight-led transformation. I thrive in fast-paced, agile environments, applying behavioural psychology and robust research methodologies. A trusted stakeholder partner with a strong history of embedding insight frameworks and influencing senior decision-makers.

 

CORE COMPETENCIES

  • UX Research & Insight Creation Expertise
  • Stakeholder and Relationship Management
  • Communication & Influence
  • Data informed Design Decisions
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Strategic and Business Aware
  • Analytical and Problem Solving Skills
  • Exploring & applying AI to enhance research, insight generation, and product decision‑making

 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Business Engagement Manager • Stark Group • 2024 to present

  • Process Improvement: Partnered with the Head of Power BI and IT to integrate ICON quote data into Power BI, creating the first UK-wide view of quoting performance and surfacing £56m in weekly opportunities, enabling proactive follow-up and driving incremental sales.
  • Strategic Partnership Development: Partnered with the Head of E-Commerce to introduce the Jewson Customer App, facilitating future-state service vision workshops and securing executive buy-in aligned to strategic goals. A potential revenue of £8.6m, in 2yrs.
  • Stakeholder Influence: Collaborated with Marketing and IT to improve customer contact communications, deliver training, increase retention, and reduce obsolete contact records.

Key Achievement - Helped bring the CEO Updates in-house using Microsoft Town Hall, saving the company over £100k per month.


User Research Lead • Saint-Gobain/Stark Group • May 2019 to May 2024

  • Research Leadership: Established and led the Research function supporting Product, UX, and the Chief Digital Officer, with customer-led insights.
  • Delivery & Budget Management: Managed priorities and budget, running branch colleague interviews, moderated/unmoderated studies, focus groups, usability testing and diary studies.
  • Insight & communication: Planned, executed, and communicated research studies, uncovering new personas, user motivations and behaviours. With clear executive-ready reports and recommendations.
  • Digital Personas: Created and evolved a number of digital personas that helped the Product, Marketing and Senior Leadership Teams around customer needs.

Key achievement - Revenue impact: Delivered insights that shaped the Jewson website, (launch May 2020), contributing to annual visits of 6.6m and sales exceeding £25m, the launch of online payments took £4.8m in the first 5 months. A founding member of the Saint-Gobain Menopause Support Group and a qualified Mental Health First Aider promoting well-being at work. 

 

User Research Manager • Vodafone • Jan 2016 to May 2019

  • Research Integration Embedded User Research into the Digital design cycle, where it didn’t exist before by creating and managing the Research Function
  • Stakeholder Management: Influenced senior leadership to adopt a customer-centric approach.
  • Execution & Advocacy: Led and communicated research end-to-end, championing the customer voice in product and design decisions.
  • Psychology Expertise: Diploma in Higher Education (Psychology, Open University), applying behavioural insight to shape effective digital experiences.

Key Achievement: Delivered actionable insights shaping ToBi Chatbot, Vodafone App, VeryMe Rewards, “Choose a Phone & Contract” journey, and Home Broadband — all still live on the Vodafone website today. 17% of mobile customer acquisitions were through digital channels by FY2019, 1 in 6 new or upgrades bought online of approximately 18.5m mobile connections in the UK.

 

User Experience Manager with Vodafone – Aug 2008 to Jan 2016: Led the digital strategy and optimisation of two core online journeys—Pay As You Go & TopUps (5m customers; £480m annual top-ups with 12m online) and SIM-Only (6.8m customers; 1.7m online contracts in 2019)—following ownership of the Vodafone Business digital experience. Delivered best-in-class user journeys in partnership with Production and Go-to-Market teams, using wireframes, detailed briefs, and data-driven experimentation to improve conversion and eliminate usability friction.

  • Defined Award-Winning Campaigns online: Delivered the online user experience of the Vodafone Christmas campaign in November 2013, which was later submitted for and won the Online Retail Awards in 2014.
  • Animated support video: Managed the user experience for Vodafone’s first animated support video. Elements of the content were later adopted by internal teams, including Brand and Retail, to help explain a complex offering of 'Red Plus' Pay monthly plans. This work was recognised with an internal award from Pay Monthly product owner colleagues.
  • User Empathy: I have a restless curiosity for improving the user experience, a love of learning, open mindedness, and a drive to make things better for the end user/customer, which in turn increased page conversion from 0.5% to 2% in the PAYG online journey.

 

Online Applications Designer with Vodafone – May 2004 to Aug 2008, Created and managed internet and intranet sites supporting innovation projects and Professional Services, including a Vodafone website. Led online application requests from business analysis and initial design through stakeholder engagement. Monitored KPIs via web analytics, delivering insight-driven reports to identify improvement opportunities.

  • Delivering results: Initiated a major £30k re-branding exercise across the external website and delivered new content, new comprehensive layout and enhanced brand awareness within a challenging 6-week timescale.
  • Giving something back: Volunteered as the department mentor for the World Around Us encouraging colleagues to participate in activities and charitable events raising £12k in 12 months and raising Vodafone’s profile within the community. Consequently, was awarded recognition for my efforts.

 

EDUCATION

Level 2 Certificate in Principles of Team Leading – Westminster Adult Education Service 2025 = Pass

TQUK Level 2 Certificate in Digital Marketing – Swindon College 2024 = Pass

An introduction to Artificial Intelligence – Open University 2015 = Pass

Diploma of Higher Education in Psychology – Open University 2015 = Pass

Design and the web – Open University Feb 2016 = Pass

Web Basics – Open University 2016 = Pass

Starting with Psychology – Open University 2012 = Pass

ICS Diploma in web design – Jan 2005 = Pass with merit

 

PREVIOUS CAREER HISTORY - SUMMARY

Technical sales co-ordinator at Vodafone – Sep 2001 to May 2004

Visiting officer and revenues advisor at West Berkshire Council – Apr 1991 to Sep 2001

Sales Liaison Officer at Sony UK Ltd – Nov 1987 to Apr 1991

Clerical assistant at British Telecom PLC – May 1984 to Nov 1987

 

INTERESTS

Actively involved in the UX industry, studying research and AI, attending events and conferences. I also enjoy music, going to concerts and festivals. My hobby is collecting CD's and DJing.