Putting people at the heart of innovation: Meet Louise Woodhouse, Head of Digital Adoption
For Louise Woodhouse, Foot Anstey's Head of Digital Adoption, successful innovation starts with people. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about helping others develop new skills, embrace change and make the most of the opportunities technology can create.
In her role, Louise works with colleagues across the firm to build confidence in new technologies and explore how digital tools can support the way they work. Having built a career in education before moving into the legal sector, she brings a people-first perspective to helping individuals and teams navigate an increasingly digital world.
A career built around enabling others
Louise's route into digital adoption wasn't a traditional one. She began her career in education, where she saw first-hand the impact technology could have in breaking down barriers and allowing learners to reach their potential.
This inspired her to make a move into digital adoption where alongside improving access to learning, Louise spent time fostering cultures of innovation through the exploration of new and emerging technologies, supporting both colleagues and students to build their confidence and skills.
'What's always excited me most about technology is its ability to unlock opportunities for people,' says Louise. 'Whether that's helping someone learn a new skill, work more effectively or approach a challenge in a different way, the people aspect has always been the most important part.'
That principle continues to guide her work today. While the context may be different, many of the same challenges remain: helping people adapt to new technologies, develop new capabilities and feel confident exploring unfamiliar tools.
Her journey reflects an important aspect of life at Foot Anstey, where different experiences and perspectives are recognised as an important driver of growth and innovation.
Joining a firm with ambition
With innovation playing an increasingly important role in supporting colleagues and clients alike, Louise was drawn to the opportunity to help shape how technology is adopted across the business.
'Foot Anstey's ambition for growth and innovation, balanced with its commitment to being refreshingly human, really resonated with me,' she says.
What stands out to Louise is the firm's willingness to embrace new ideas while keeping people at the centre of decision-making. Working with teams across the business, she helps colleagues understand how technology can support their day-to-day work, whether that's introducing new tools, sharing practical use cases or creating the environment for people to learn from one another.
Innovation with a human focus
As technology continues to evolve, Foot Anstey is investing in the tools, skills and support that will help colleagues deliver exceptional client service and prepare for the future.
One area attracting significant attention is AI. Louise and her team are exploring how tools such as Microsoft Copilot can support everyday tasks, streamline processes and free up time for work that relies on human judgement, creativity and collaboration.
But technology is only one part of the picture. Through initiatives such as communities of practice, peer mentoring and on-demand learning resources, colleagues are encouraged to share knowledge, experiment with new tools and learn from each other's experiences. The aim is not simply to introduce technology, but to help people feel confident using it in a way that adds value to their role.
Creating opportunities to learn and grow
Supporting people to learn and develop is a key part of Louise's role. She is passionate about creating an environment where colleagues feel comfortable asking questions, building new skills and exploring different approaches.
That commitment to learning extends across the firm. Whether it's developing technical expertise, strengthening leadership capabilities or building confidence with emerging technologies, colleagues are encouraged to take ownership of their development and continue expanding their skills throughout their careers.
For Louise, curiosity plays an important role in that process. As technology and ways of working continue to evolve, she believes the most important thing is having the confidence to keep learning. It's an approach that has shaped her own career and one that continues to create opportunities for people across Foot Anstey.
