Meet Krysta Collin, General Manager at A Jolly Consulting

In this series, we introduce the people behind AJC and the experience they bring to the business. In this profile, we are spotlighting Krysta Collin, General Manager at A Jolly Consulting.

I’m Krysta Collin, and I work as General Manager at AJC. My role focuses on helping the business run smoothly, ensuring our clients and colleagues have the information, processes and practical support they need.

A large part of my work is about keeping things moving in the background, so our consultants can focus on delivering specialist advice to clients across cyber security, fraud prevention, risk management and resilience.

My Role at AJC

At AJC, I support a variety of areas, from client onboarding, scheduling and finance administration to corporate governance, events, internal coordination and day-to-day business operations. My role can vary significantly depending on what is happening across the business, the needs of the team and the requirements of each client engagement.

My day-to-day duties are shaped by the work we are delivering at any given time. On one day, I might be coordinating client onboarding, making sure the correct agreements are in place and helping to schedule upcoming work. On another, I could be working on corporate governance, liaising with our accountants on income and expenditure, reviewing shared inboxes, responding to enquiries or helping to organise an event.

I also support the team internally through regular conversations, helping to manage workloads, identifying content ideas for our website and LinkedIn page, and making sure administrative tasks are completed in line with upcoming commitments.

I am also part of the team behind AJC’s shared inboxes, where many first enquiries come through. These are often from organisations looking for quotations or guidance around SWIFT CSP assessments, Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus. My role is to make sure those enquiries are picked up and directed to the right subject matter expert.

What I enjoy about the role is the variety. No two days are exactly the same, and I like being involved in different parts of the business, from speaking with clients and working with consultants to helping ensure the practical details are properly managed.

Supporting Different Areas of the Business

One of the things I enjoy most about working at AJC is being able to support different areas of the business and learn more about the sectors our clients operate in.

I have recently taken responsibility for a sector of AJC that involves accounts, member management, event planning and marketing, through to attending events and managing post-event follow-up. This has given me the opportunity to support both the operational and relationship-building side of the business.

This work relates to the Institute of Corporate Resilience, where the focus is on education, thought leadership and solutions. My responsibilities include supporting membership renewals and new memberships, helping to identify potential topics for in-person and virtual events, and coordinating the practical details that help those events run successfully.

Through my position, I have also worked as a contracted PA to a fraud prevention company, supporting the team with diary management and email monitoring. This engagement opened my eyes to another side of the fraud sector and gave me a valuable opportunity to learn more about the industry and the work being done to help educate organisations about risk.

Earlier this year, I also organised my first webinar, which involved creating event booking pages, helping to manage the format of the virtual session, maintaining attendee engagement and following up for feedback.

I also enjoy assisting with the organisation of AJC’s annual charity golf day for The Wilderness Foundation, reconnecting with regular attendees, meeting new players and seeing the positive work the charity achieves through the donations it receives.

I enjoy speaking with clients from different companies, sectors and locations. You will always find me with a to-do list, and my goal is to provide the support the team needs to carry out their work effectively.

How I Help Our Clients

Much of my work is focused on making sure clients have a smooth and professional experience when working with AJC.

This can start from the onboarding stage, where I help ensure the correct agreements are in place for an upcoming engagement. I may also support with legal contracts, introduce the client to their AJC consultant or consultants, assist with work scheduling, create invoicing schedules, raise invoices and help obtain client feedback.

I also organise team meetings, fundraising events, corporate events and branded marketing items for events. These are all practical elements, but they play an important role in helping AJC maintain strong relationships and deliver a professional service.

Our clients are based around the world, and liaising with them is one of my favourite parts of my role. Although SWIFT season is increasingly busy, it is also one of my favourite times of the year. I enjoy reconnecting with familiar names and assisting with the start of their attestation process each year.

For me, SWIFT season begins early in the year, when we review the previous season, look at what worked well and identify where improvements can be made. We then begin reconnecting with clients, scheduling assessments, creating Statements of Work, organising invoicing and helping make sure clients and consultants have what they need.

Good organisation behind the scenes can make a real difference. Booking assessments early helps clients secure preferred dates, prepare their evidence and allow time for remediation if needed. It also helps reduce pressure later in the season, when consultant availability becomes more limited.

My Professional Background

Before joining AJC, I was raising my children and providing administration and accounts support to a construction company.

My working career has always been centred around building and maintaining client relationships, supporting teams and helping businesses stay organised. This has included negotiating legal documents, from leaseholder and freeholder agreements to Memorandum and Articles, as well as creating financial reports, budgets, quotations and invoices.

That experience has given me a strong foundation for my role at AJC, where organisation, communication and attention to detail are essential.

Relationship management is also a key part of my role. Sometimes what a client or consultant wants may not be the best option for the business as a whole, so I need to listen, understand the different priorities and help find a workable solution.

Empathy is important too. Not every conversation is purely business-related, and I want my colleagues to know that I care and will always do the best I can to support them.

Working at AJC

AJC is a varied and fast-moving business, which means my role gives me the opportunity to keep learning and to work with different people across different areas of expertise.

I enjoy being part of a team that helps organisations protect themselves in practical ways, whether that is through cyber security, fraud prevention, risk management or wider business resilience. My role is often behind the scenes, but I know that strong organisation and clear communication help our consultants do their best work for clients.

What I value about AJC is the supportive culture. When I first started, I was told there was no such thing as a silly question, and that has proved true. Everyone is willing to explain things, share their knowledge and help me understand the different sectors we work in.

There is also a real focus on people. The team celebrates personal achievements, encourages professional development and understands the importance of family, health and life outside work. That same care carries through to clients, where the aim is always to help them achieve the best possible outcome.

A Bit About Me

Outside of work, I volunteer as Secretary and Treasurer for a youth football club, providing sporting opportunities for more than 60 children ranging from four to 17 years old. I was actually recruited for my position at AJC through the football club.

Through the youth club, we also have links to adults’ and veterans’ football, allowing our players to see a future football pathway if they wish to continue playing.

The club matters to me because it has become a real football family. I have met some amazing friends through it, and I love seeing children grow in confidence, make friends and enjoy being active. Some children start with us very shy and develop into confident young adults, and it is a fantastic feeling to be part of a team that helps create a fun, safe and encouraging environment for them.

I also learnt to ski in my thirties. It has not been easy, but I am not willing to give up. Enjoying the beautiful snowy ski runs with my family is the determination I need not to miss out. There is something truly magical about how silent the slopes are, how the mountains glisten as the sun reflects off the snow, and the breathtaking view of miles of snow-covered peaks.

I am also a huge fan of language. I am an avid reader with a far-too-large “to be read” pile, so if you have a book recommendation, I would love to know. My LinkedIn profile is always up to date with my current read.

I have two book recommendations. The first is Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, which has aspects of the butterfly effect and a brilliant twist that made me gasp out loud. I read it very quickly because I wanted to understand how all the pieces fitted together. The second is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It is a fantastic book about love, secrets and the choices people make, with characters that really stay with you. I have recommended it to many of my bookworm friends, who also found it to be a great read.

I have been learning French for two years to assist on ski trips, and I also spent two years learning British Sign Language in my twenties after meeting a Deaf lady and not liking that I could not talk to her.

Let’s Connect

If your business is looking for tailored expert support to help protect your organisation, please do reach out to AJC.

I am part of the team behind the info@ email address, so I will often be one of the first people helping to direct your enquiry to the right colleague. Whether you need support with cyber security, fraud prevention, risk management, compliance or wider resilience, I can help make sure your enquiry reaches the person best placed to support you.