»You have to feel like you’re making a difference«
Labelling Caroline Hildreth as multi-faceted doesn’t quite do her justice. Caroline is a qualified lawyer, who spent more than a decade working in litigation and in-house counsel roles. She is a gardener, whose allotment provided a bumper crop of runner beans this summer. She is a Peloton enthusiast, whose home gym boasts the brand’s connected treadmill and bike, helping her to complete more than 1,000 online fitness classes. She’s also the vice chair of Intelligent Transport Systems UK, a trade body representing 190+ organisations in the transport tech industry.
To her colleagues at Netcompany, though, Caroline is the diligent and detail-oriented account lead for our client, National Highways, and our go-to-market lead for Transport and Logistics, overseeing how Netcompany works with organisations that operate on the UK’s roads.
Finding her purpose in transport
As you might guess from her time spent in law, Caroline’s journey into transport technology was far from linear. »I didn’t know anything,« she says. »But I learned by dealing with disputes – when clients got into a pickle and delivery wasn’t going to plan. Later I moved into commercial management, working as a contracts manager across industries: private, utilities, defence, and government,« she reflects.
Her shift from one sector to another was fuelled by a desire to make a tangible difference. »Someone I once worked for always said: ‘you have to feel like you’re making a difference’. I never did in law. I only got that feeling when I moved into transport.«
She points to the real-world impact of intelligent transport systems. »Technology on the roadside not only helps keep people safe, but also drives improvements in traffic flow, reduces congestion, and supports environmental goals. Knowing that our work makes a positive contribution to society gives me a sense of fulfilment I never experienced as a lawyer.«
Helping support this critical national infrastructure is what draws Caroline to the industry and keeps her excited to support Netcompany’s clients in the space. »I love the sector because it’s the spine of the country. It brings people to jobs, healthcare, education. Without it, where would we be? And when it goes wrong, the impact on daily life is huge.«
Her work contributes to that critical backbone, managing Netcompany teams who build and maintain the business-critical IT systems and digital transformation projects that enable travel in the UK.
Managing energy, not time
Making a difference and working for an organisation that creates real change in the world is hugely important for Caroline. »What I like about Netcompany is that we have products and clients that drive real value,« she says. »I do like the fact that if I identify a client problem, we’ve probably solved it somewhere else. And what we try and do – through responsible digitalisation – is bring value very quickly to a client through the re-use of technology. I like that because it feels like we’re coming to things with integrity. We could start from scratch and charge you a lot more. But why would we do that? What gain is that for society?«
So she’s committed to her clients and wider society. Yet there’s no doubt that Caroline seeks to maximise her impact across numerous responsibilities. So how does she juggle it all?
»I don’t manage my time; I manage my energy,« she says. »Being a Principal is stressful, plus I’m a mum, a wife and a dog mum. I have client meetings, big financial targets, events to attend, and a LinkedIn profile to keep up to date. So sometimes I just have to stop the hunt for a sale and focus on people, because I know that sustains me. It’s what gives me energy.«
»I love being a manager – guiding and coaching people, helping them be the best that they can be,” she continues. »I get a real kick when someone in my team presents something or goes on stage to talk about a project. It’s not for me to sweep in and take the limelight. They’ve done it – they deserve the recognition. For me it’s like a proud mum moment.«
Fostering a culture of inclusion
A quick look at Caroline’s LinkedIn profile shows her dedication to championing women in technology and pushing for greater female representation in leadership. There are photos from the National Highways Connecting Women’s event, posts about The Pipeline meet-up at the Houses of Commons celebrating Women in Power, and updates from the Girl Tech West Midlands initiative, part of Netcompany’s social value work.
Caroline’s drive is rooted in her own lived experience. »I’m passionate about this because I had very few female mentors or role models. Some women even pulled the ladder up behind them while pretending to do good,« she says.
Today, she channels that experience into action through the Women @ Netcompany UK employee resource group (ERG). Netcompany’s ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups bring together colleagues who share lived experiences – or their allies – with the aim of fostering inclusion, driving diversity, and ensuring equal opportunities for growth and well-being across the organisation.
Caroline is clear about the importance of using her growing platform for systemic change: »I feel senior enough now to have a voice and to be listened to, and I have to use it for everyone else who isn’t at the table. I enjoy challenging thinking and trying to change the culture so it’s more inclusive.«
But where did this drive come from?
»For a long time in previous roles I was being moulded into a younger female version of my mentor, instead of being encouraged to be authentic. It’s exhausting trying to be someone you’re not. I don’t try to be someone I’m not and because of that, I don’t suffer from impostor syndrome. That’s not arrogance – it’s knowing I don’t know everything, but also recognising nobody else in the room does either.«
