Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive of baby charity Bliss Scotland, takes part in our Chief Encounters feature

What is the first thing you do when you arrive at work?

As soon as I get in I make a big pot of coffee, which I drink while working through my emails and planning my meetings for the day. It’s a welcome moment of calm before getting stuck into what is always a varied and busy day.

What makes a good day at work?

The best days are those when we can really see the difference we’re making – whether that’s getting an email from a parent telling us that finding our information and support helped them be more confident in looking after their baby in hospital, or a big campaign win like one we had recently in Scotland. After we had campaigned for some time about the financial burden facing parents with a baby on the neonatal unit, the Scottish Government announced a £1.5 million fund to support parents with the additional costs they face such as travel and food. Knowing that what we’re doing is making a tangible difference for babies born premature or sick, and their families, is really motivating for all the team, me included.

How often do you socialise with colleagues outside the Christmas party?

It’s not socialising exactly, but my favourite way of catching up informally with the team is at Bliss events, and particularly at our biggest fundraising events.

Is it better to work for a big charity or a small charity?

I’ve worked in charities of different sizes over the years, and for me the most important part has always been working for a cause I really believe in and am passionate about. It’s also what we look for most when we’re recruiting, and it’s great working with the team here at Bliss who are all incredibly passionate about our work.

What do you enjoy most about working at Bliss?

The sheer variety of my role, and the opportunity it gives me to spend time regularly with all of our stakeholders – parents, volunteers, health professionals, policymakers, researchers and more. This gives me a very full picture of how our strategy is being delivered and received in practice on the ground, which helps inform my thinking about the work we do and what we might do more of in future. And there is always more to do!

What’s your favourite book?

I’ve just finished reading Lincoln in the Bardo (by George Saunders) and The Muse (by Jessie Burton), both of which I enjoyed enormously. But I don’t tend to re-read books or have favourites, as there are so many out there that I haven’t read yet.

Would your 16-year-old self be impressed with where you are now?

I hope so! At that age I was definitely interested in social policy, so I’m sure she’d be pleased I was working to make a difference (however cheesy that sounds). I was also pretty shy as a teenager so I think she’d be impressed at some of the external speaking or media work that’s a regular part of my job these days.

What’s your perfect weekend?

My perfect weekend is a combination of kung fu – I’ve been training for nearly 10 years – followed by catching up with family and friends, and ideally a bit of cooking; I’m currently practising some recipes for Bake for Bliss, one of our most popular fundraisers, which takes place this year from 19-25 February.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?

I think my favourite in recent years was launching a new Bliss strategy in 2016, developed with the input of over 3,000 parents, professionals and supporters, which sets out really clearly and simply the four areas of work we need to focus on – supporting parents, supporting professionals, campaigning, and research.

What was your first job?

I worked in market research for three years, and was lucky enough to work for a range of clients including charities. I switched straight from that job into the charity sector as I was so interested in the research we were doing for some of our charity clients, and wanted to be on the inside so that I could take that research and put it to good use.

Is the third sector a calling or an accident?

Definitely a calling; apart from my first job I’ve always worked in the third sector, and I absolutely love it. I count myself very lucky to be able to put my skills and expertise to good use for causes I really believe in, and I can’t see myself working anywhere else.

Which Brian Cox do you prefer?

Much as I love science, I’d have to say Brian Cox the actor. I’m a huge theatre fan and go as often as I can, and I’ve been lucky enough to see Brian Cox in a couple of plays over the last few years. He really is a fantastic actor.

Caroline Lee-Davey is chief executive of Bliss Scotland, which helps support the thousands of premature babies born across the country every year