Having been at Luminance for over six years, Luminance’s VP of Sales, Freddie Kitchen, has watched the company grow from a 20-person team to a global leader in legal AI – and her own career has soared alongside. We sat down with Freddie to find out more about her fast-tracked career journey, how she approaches sales and top tips for those looking to follow in her footsteps…

How did you end up joining Luminance?

At school I had no idea what I wanted to do with my career – I decided to study Law at the University of Exeter and ended up securing a training contract at a top London firm. As a junior lawyer, I found the repetitive, high-volume work pretty draining, but developed a real interest in some of the technologies my firm was trying to implement. It seemed like a no brainer to me that AI was going to change the legal industry for the better.

So, in 2019 I decided to take a massive risk – drop out of my long sought after training contract and join a relatively unknown legal AI startup. Let’s just say I haven’t looked back since!

Can you talk us through your time at Luminance?

Luminance was a very different company when I joined six years ago. The sales team was a 10-person footnote in the corner of a much larger tech company’s office. Going from that to a sales team of 100+ people across seven global offices has been an incredibly rewarding journey.

In terms of my personal progression, I went from Account Executive to Senior Account Manager before moving into a management role as Commercial Director and most recently becoming VP of Sales last year. My journey from an entry-level role to senior leadership isn’t an uncommon trope here at Luminance, and this recognition and celebration of homegrown talent is so valuable. It’s a super exciting time as we continue to grow, scale and innovate and I couldn’t be prouder to be playing my part.

What makes a strong salesperson?

For me, attitude is the most important factor. I’d say the top traits I look out for would be:

1) A self-induced sense of ambition and drive: the best salespeople are not pushing themselves because of external stimulus. It is an inner drive, something to prove to themselves, that makes them relentless and resilient. They are their own biggest competition.

2) Either totally oblivious to fear or willing to ignore it. Sales often requires you to ask hard questions, meet tough people and feel friction. The best salespeople will break through their fears and grow extraordinarily fast as a result.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I try my best to lead by example. I’ve been there as an Account Executive and worked my way up, so can fully relate to the challenges my team face, the best parts, the hard parts. I think this allows me to empathise and understand them but also show them the path by setting a good example. Whether that’s getting my hands dirty on a first meeting, knowing the demo and messaging inside out, or providing coaching and feedback back after calls. I hope they find comfort and inspiration in that. The leaders that I respect and have inspired me most in our business have done the same for me and have no qualms with getting into the trenches themselves!

What is your advice for those at the start of their career?

Ask and be curious! I used to feel defensive when I received feedback, but knowing your weaknesses and being unashamed to ask questions is a must in order to grow. As the only person who can make yourself grow, you’re the biggest threat to your own progression – feel the fear and do it anyway, lean into the discomfort zone as this is how you’ll develop and ultimately thrive.

What has been your experience as a woman working in tech?

I’m very lucky to work at a tech company with over 50% representation at management and board level – but I know this isn’t the case everywhere. This environment has been imperative to building up my confidence and self-worth as a female leader. Now that I’m in a position of leadership myself, I’m passionate about returning the favour and trying to create a community of inspirational women in tech to continue that network effect.

What’s next for Luminance?

2024 was a whirlwind. We welcomed hundreds of customers, opened offices around the globe and released a whole host of truly ground-breaking AI developments. We have even bigger plans for 2025… You’ve probably seen the news of our $75M Series C funding round back in February – taking us to an incredible $115M in under 12 months! Our focus now is innovation, scaling and expansion. From a sales perspective that means more hiring, more selling and more opportunities.

We’re hiring across the board, so get in touch if you’re interested in joining the team.