LDC Top 50 2026
Emma Strain
Joint Managing Director
CSS Europe
Emma Strain’s route to the boardroom began with a broken arm. After a serious fall ended her nursing career, she joined Staffordshire-based software company CSS Europe in 2014. Twelve years later, she’s Joint Managing Director, having progressed through customer support, product marketing and business development.
The company provides software that helps organisations to manage inventory, assets, equipment, medicines and complex supply chains. Recently awarded a place on the NHS’s Scan4Safety framework, its technology has real-world impact. “Without our software, a patient might not get home with essential equipment, or a paramedic could be left without vital kit.
My job is to give people the confidence and autonomy to make great decisions themselves.”
Q&A
What did moving from nursing into business teach you?
I never planned to leave nursing. I loved it but after I fractured my humerus in a fall, the bone was almost sticking out of my arm. I honestly didn’t think I’d ever be insured to work as a nurse again. I was off work for nearly a year, with my baby daughter at home, and it completely changed my perspective. I realised I wanted to stay in healthcare but I also wanted to be there for her. I didn’t want to miss Christmases and birthdays because I was working 12-hour shifts. CSS was actually the first job I applied for after my accident.
How would you describe your leadership style?
Very open. I still sit in the office with everyone else and I love hearing ideas bouncing around. People here are naturally curious and always asking questions, and that’s exactly the culture I want. We don’t believe in meetings for the sake of meetings. I’m very hands-on but I’m learning to delegate more. It used to be, “I’ll sort that out,” whereas now it’s, “Let’s teach you how to do it.” My job is to give people the confidence and autonomy to make great decisions themselves.
What’s the next chapter for CSS?
We think of ourselves as innovation leaders. We’re trying to break into new spaces and grow internationally, particularly across Europe and the Gulf. The exciting part is seeing organisations move from paper-based processes to modern systems that genuinely improve the way frontline services operate.
