Caroline was a force to be reckoned with. If she set her mind to something, it was highly likely it would be achieved before you could blink. She had effortless control over any situation that sprang up and was one of the most efficient people I’ve ever met. She said to me once that she was so efficient because at heart she was a lazy person and it was less hassle that way! If that was the case, she was the hardest-working lazy person I’ve ever met.

Caroline was a leader not a follower, and you could see that in every aspect of her life and career. In SPAIS she put in place procedures that improved every aspect of our work and transformed our office into a well-oiled machine (at least we liked to think so).

As an onlooker I observed Caroline’s endless strength and determination. She did not believe anything was out of reach, and her ambition to progress in her career, despite her own personal battle, was truly inspirational. She never thought the next step was beyond any of us, and she encouraged us to be ambitious and believe in ourselves.

Her work and personal contribution to our little team will be deeply missed – the fiery quips, the pranks and the constant laughs she brought out in us, in particular. To me she started out as a colleague and became a best friend; I looked forward to coming into the office and sitting next to her every day, so I will always be grateful to SPAIS for the introduction.