Katherine Mullard
Head of Client Services – Public Sector | Kerv Digital
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Get in touchPublished 21/04/26 under:
In this blog:
- Kerv Team Supports The Military at Microsoft Service Leaver Mentor Programme Event
- Why Events Like This Matter
- Kerv’s Role: Supporting, Sharing and Learning
Kerv Team Supports The Military at Microsoft Service Leaver Mentor Programme Event – 16th April 2026
On 16 April, members of the Kerv team were pleased to attend the closing meeting of the latest Military at Microsoft Service Leaver Mentor Programme at Microsoft’s UK HQ in Reading. The programme brings together both active armed forces personal and veterans, alongside mentors, partners and employers, to reflect on learning, share experiences, and explore career opportunities beyond military service. Kerv was proud to show our support, contributing to the programme through the voices and experiences of our colleagues.
As part of the programme, Joe Hague, Lead Software Engineer and a former service colleague, spoke to attendees about his own transition from military service into civilian life at Kerv. Joe shared openly what that journey looked like for him, the challenges he encountered, and how his military background continues to influence the way he works.
Joe was joined by Gareth Dowsett, Client Services Principal, who shared insight into the work Kerv does, the environments we operate in, and the range of opportunities available for people leaving the Armed Forces. Together, their contributions helped bring practical, lived experience into the room, offering attendees examples of how military experience can form the foundation for a successful civilian career in the technology space.
Image: Joe Hague from Kerv talking about his experiences transitioning from the military, to life working in tech
Why Events Like This Matter
Leaving the Armed Forces represents a significant life change, not just a change of job. While service leavers bring leadership, discipline and resilience, translating those strengths into civilian contexts can still feel challenging.
Programmes like Microsoft’s Service Leaver Mentor Programme play a vital role by:
- Creating visibility of real career pathways post service
- Connecting service leavers with people who have already made that transition
- Helping individuals see how their experience applies beyond military settings
- Encouraging open, supportive conversations about change and opportunity
By bringing together mentors, employers, partners and service leavers, these meetings create an environment where transition is discussed realistically and with practical insight.
Image: Microsoft’s Service Leaver Mentor Programme – latest cohort along with Kerv team members and supporting employers
Kerv’s Role: Supporting, Sharing and Learning
Kerv’s role is about making the path forward feel tangible. We are a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, recognising the value that serving personnel, veterans and military families bring to organisations across all roles and disciplines. Supporting the military community is about recognising lived experience, understanding the challenges of transition, and creating environments where military based skills and values are truly recognised and utilised.
Listening directly to service leavers, and learning from colleagues like Joe who have already made the transition, continues to shape how we welcome and support others at similar stages in their careers.
Why Military Experience Fits So Well at Kerv
At Kerv, we already employ ex service colleagues across technical, delivery and support roles. Their experience strengthens our teams in tangible ways, particularly through:
- Familiarity with complex, high trust environments
- Strong standards of accountability and professionalism
- Calm decision making under pressure
- Experience working within structured, mission led teams
These qualities align closely with the organisations we work with across public sector, defence, education and secure environments, where clarity, trust and collaboration really matter. Our delivery model – centred on collaborative, multi disciplinary, agile teams – also mirrors ways of working that feel familiar to many leaving military service.
Looking Ahead
We’re proud to support programmes that help service leavers explore what their next chapter could look like. We see military experience not as something to leave behind, but as something to build on. Through partnership, openness and active involvement, we’re committed to supporting those who have served as they transition into civilian careers.
