Sophia Bhatti - Team Leader, Strategy and Planning

Name: Sophia Bhatti
Job: Team Leader
Team: Strategy and Planning
Joined OFT: 2007

Although I joined fairly recently, the OFT was on my career radar for several years.

After an undergraduate law degree and a Masters in International Studies, I signed up as a graduate trainee with a major financial institution. But before long, I realised I needed to be doing something that fitted better with my values, especially my wish to contribute to the greater good.

I joined the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner, the body responsible for regulating immigration advisers. While there, I was involved in auditing advisers and doing policy research. Then I moved to the General Medical Council and spent just under four very rewarding years as Research Manager, while leading on consumer engagement, risk management and regulatory impact.

I had been keeping an eye on vacancies at the OFT and, when one came up at the right time, I decided to apply. It's looking like being an excellent next step.

I feel a real affinity with our aims of creating an effective and fair competitive environment and empowering consumers. It's also a good place to develop a career: we're big and broad enough for there to be opportunities for progression. At the same time, it isn't an impersonal organisation, which means  you can get to know people across the OFT and build meaningful relationships with them.

In Strategy and Planning, we have the chance to work on a variety of OFT-wide projects and programmes. Currently, my key focus is risk management. My job is to help ensure the OFT effectively manages its main risks such as the risk of litigation, financial risk, HR risk and communication risk.  I act as an adviser to teams and projects, and also oversee and manage training for colleagues. Meanwhile, I'm also contributing to our 'horizon-scanning' work, and a project to define the long-term future of the OFT. In all these areas, I have the satisfaction of seeing a link between what I'm doing and the organisation's success.

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