After over 35 extraordinary years, Kimberly is stepping away from Signature, and we could not let her go without the send-off she truly deserves.
Starting as a shy young woman, with an abundance of 80s red hair, she joined Signature (then CACDP) in January 1991, working for Stewart Simpson OBE as Secretary — and she leaves as a trusted, respected and reliable Compliance and Qualifications Director. Kimberly’s journey with us has been nothing short of remarkable.
But of course, Kimberly is far more than her job title. We all know her for putting on lipstick for the gym, her legendary hairstyles, homemade dresses and of course how easily she falls asleep on any car journey! But we wouldn’t have her any other way. She is a living, breathing institutional memory of Signature — a mentor, a trusted colleague, and a source of wisdom for generations of staff and partners.
It didn’t take long for Kimberly’s talent and dedication to be noticed. Shortly after starting she was soon promoted to Personal Assistant to Stewart — a role that brought with it some fun additional responsibilities. Kimberly found herself arranging high-profile CACDP events including the annual certificate presentations, which welcomed guests such as Sir Richard Attenborough, Sir Trevor McDonald, and Princess Anne. Not too bad for someone who described herself as shy!
As Signature got a new Chief Executive, Kimberly’s remit was expanded. She took on the administration for the development of the Independent Registration Panel, which later became NRCPD. It was around this time that Kimberly earned a title that has stuck ever since — the Process Queen. No one builds a process quite like her, and it takes a brave person to challenge one when Kimberly is around – although we do try!
She then moved into the Exams team as Senior Officer, where her gift for process-building was perfectly matched to the organisation’s needs. More changes followed: another office move, another new Chief Executive, and yet more responsibility. Kimberly’s role expanded to include compliance and qualifications development, and she joined Signature’s Senior Management Team — a position that reflected the trust, respect and expertise she had built over decades of service.
As Qualifications and Compliance Director, Kimberly has been instrumental in shaping the qualifications that have enabled thousands of learners across the UK to learn BSL. She was crucial in running the BSL GCSE pilot, which led the way in allowing us to get to where we are today. Her passion for quality, her meticulous (sometimes frustrating) attention to detail, and her encyclopaedic knowledge of policy and process have been extraordinary assets to the entire organisation — she will be sorely missed.
Kimberly, as you leave us, please know that the mark you have left on Signature and on all of us, is permanent. The qualifications you helped build, the standards you upheld, the processes you championed (and protected with great gusto), and the people you supported along the way, all of that endures.
Your daily presence in the office will be deeply missed. Your laughter, your style, your absolute insistence on writing everything in your pink notebook, and your willingness to share your remarkable memory with anyone who needed it — these are things that cannot easily be replaced.
But from everyone at Signature: thank you, Kimberly. For 35 wonderful years. For your dedication, your expertise, your friendship, and your unforgettable hair.
We wish you every happiness, every adventure, and a lifetime of memories.