"Say yes, but say it intentionally": Evenna Ottey on ten years of building a career at Sage

Ten years ago, Evenna Ottey joined Sage in a junior Investor Relations role within Finance. Today she is Senior Director, AI Strategy & Transformation, a role she points out no careers adviser would have suggested when she was at school, because it simply didn't exist.

In this conversation with Sage’s early careers colleagues Ruby Elliott and Sekeyna Abidi, she reflects on the journey between the two, the experiences that shaped her along the way, and what she’d tell anyone starting out today.

A career that kept changing direction

Evenna spent her first four or five years at Sage in commercial finance, moving through regional roles and group roles focused on how a listed company reports to its investors. Then came what she calls "jumping over the wall" into the UK go-to-market organisation, followed by her move into AI strategy. Her approach throughout was to back what she already knew and treat the unfamiliar parts as extra learning.

Relationships that work both ways

She credits much of her progress to keeping in touch with people she has worked with, whether by asking for advice on a tricky problem or chatting in the lunch queue. Crucially, it isn't one-way: those same relationships mean she can put others forward when someone asks her who might be right for an opportunity.

Earning a seat at the table

One of the most useful stories in the video is about a leader who initially kept Evenna at arm’s length in a new role. The turning point came at a leadership offsite, where she stepped beyond her finance remit to understand how the wider team worked, where the pressure points were, and how she could contribute more broadly. It became one of the highlights of her career and a valuable lesson in what it takes to earn a seat at the table.

What AI changes, and what it doesn't

Evenna's advice to early career professionals worried by headlines about AI is practical: use it to get up the learning curve faster, so you can reach the point where you’re able to offer what only you can. She argues that human judgement will remain a core asset of human capital in an AI-powered world, and advocates for embracing AI and all that it can enable humans to achieve, rather than fearing it. This also complements what has become her headline advice: say yes to opportunities when they truly are the right ones. It’s an approach she strongly credits with supporting her own growth.

Evenna explores so much more in the full interview, including how becoming a parent has shaped her approach to work, and an early career experience where an uneducated “yes” to an opportunity created more anxiety than confidence.

For anyone starting their career, considering a change, or wondering what might come next, there’s plenty to take away from Evenna’s story.