A WOMAN who left school without qualifications has become the operations director of a communications company at the age of just 26.

Stefni Watson says she has succeeded at Nelson-based Daisy Communications through "determination, enthusiasm and commitment".

Stefni moved to Barnoldswick with her family from Barnsley at the age of 15 and failed to pass her GCSEs.

However, after retaking the exams and her A-levels at Craven College and studying at the University of Central Lancashire, she landed herself a job with Daisy doing "a bit of everything".

Four promotions later, she is now in charge of six different departments, all with separate managers reporting to her. She also sets up and runs new branches of the business which employs more than 120 people.

Stefni said: "I started with Daisy four years ago when the company was just 18 months old so it only had 15 employees at the time.

"I was a member of a very small team of staff so did a bit of everything, including answering phones, admin work and processing customer orders. Since then we've grown rather rapidly and as the company's grown, I've grown with it."

The Park Street resident, who recently completed an advanced diploma in management studies at Craven College, said that she loved her job at a company where staff have their own internet café and can relieve some stress on XBox game consoles or the pool and ping-pong tables.

"I love it," she said. "I couldn't dream of a better job - mostly because of the people I work with."

And when asked the recipe for success, she replied: "I set very high goals and focus on nothing else but achieving them."

But it's not all work and no play for Stefni. In her free time, she enjoys running, driving her flower-power themed VW Beetle and going to see her fiancé Lee Oliver perform with Barnoldswick band Red Go Green Stop.

Daisy's chief executive officer Matthew Riley said: "Stefni is a real asset to the company. She has been a key member of the daisy team since she joined in 2003 and is fundamental to the future of the company.

"When the company was established, a policy was put in place to recruit from the local area wherever possible. Stefni is a working example of this and has played a major part in the success of the company."

He added: "She is an ambassador for all staff and a role model for all new starters."

Daisy Communications is one of the UK's largest independent communications companies and provides communications solutions to more than 20,000 business customers.