Since joining Movera three years ago, Amanda Wright has helped shape and expand the brand’s learning and development function during a period of organisational transformation.
Now Head of Learning and Development, Amanda leads a team supporting onboarding, training and career development, helping both experienced hires and those completely new to the legal industry build the skills and confidence they need to succeed.
Her route into the role, however, was not entirely conventional. After spending more than 25 years working across banking, insurance and wider financial services, Amanda joined the company as part of a major transformation programme focused on technology, culture and growth.
Despite already holding senior positions previously, she chose to step sideways into a specialist learning and development role rather than continue climbing the traditional leadership ladder. “I’d already worked in a head-of-level role before joining Movera, but I wanted to get back into creating and building things. I wanted to be part of a transformation journey. I wanted to shape something new.”
That decision quickly proved worthwhile. Originally joining as a Learning Design Specialist, Amanda helped redesign training pathways and onboarding programmes to support a growing business bringing in both experienced legal professionals and individuals with no prior industry experience. Over time, Amanda’s role expanded significantly. “When I joined, the team was only a handful of people. Now we’re a much larger team supporting onboarding, technical training, career development and management development.”
One of the areas Amanda is most proud of is the development of Movera Academy, which provides structured support for new starters entering the industry. Amanda believes the depth of support available to new colleagues is one of the things that sets Movera apart.
“We created programmes that could take someone with absolutely no legal experience and fully prepare them to manage their own cases. Seeing colleagues come through that process is incredibly rewarding. We invest a huge amount of time into making sure employees are ready before they start speaking to clients or handling cases independently. It’s not a case of handing someone a laptop and telling them to learn as they go.”
Alongside structured learning, Amanda highlights collaboration across the wider business as one of the biggest strengths of Movera’s culture. “If you need help or expertise, colleagues make time for you. There’s a genuine willingness across the business to collaborate, share knowledge and find solutions together.”
That culture has also helped Amanda continue developing her own knowledge, despite not coming from a legal background herself. “I’m not legally trained, so there have absolutely been moments where I’ve needed support understanding the technical aspects of conveyancing. But the team have always been incredibly open and supportive. There’s never been any sense of ‘you should already know this’.”
Over the past three years, Amanda has also helped introduce new learning technologies and systems, including a new learning management platform and the wider use of AI tools to support training delivery and efficiency. “It’s exciting to work in a business that embraces change and new ideas. There’s a real openness to improving processes and trying new approaches.”
Looking back on her own career path, Amanda believes long-term development is not always about taking the most obvious next step. “Sometimes sidestepping or trying something different gives you more experience than simply moving upwards. You need both ambition and genuine interest in what you’re doing. If your heart isn’t in it, you won’t succeed in the role.”
For anyone considering a career at Movera, Amanda believes the scale of opportunity across the wider group is one of its biggest advantages. “There are opportunities to grow, develop and move across different parts of the business. It’s a supportive environment with lots of knowledgeable people around you and plenty of scope to build a long-term career.”
