Tell us a little history about your journey in media/advertising.
I’m a fun, empathetic, media agency loyalist with a successful 29-year career managing regional and global client relationships, leading the co-ordination and presentation of multi-million, global/regional new business pitches, and supporting local markets to deliver against their own goals and objectives.
I’ve been named in The Drum’s BD 100, sat on the IPA New Business and Marketing Group Committee to serve as the voice of new business and marketing excellence, represented dentsu on panels at International Women’s Day, championed DEI within our business, and mentored/menteed colleagues internally and externally.
What does it mean to you to be a woman in your role, and how has being a woman in this industry impacted your career?
This industry has shaped the professional, parent, partner, friend, and co-worker I am today, and the values and beliefs I hold dear. I also believe it remains one of the best industries to work in – it can be brilliant, challenging, fun, offer a wealth of new experiences, and is full of surprises! But it can also be hard work, intense and require personal sacrifice. I’ve always embraced both and have been rewarded with a fulfilling career, too many amazing experiences to recount, and colleagues whom I am also proud to call my friends. As a woman and senior leader, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, and the fact that this success has been built on me always bringing my whole self to work.
How has dentsu supported you as a woman in the workplace/industry?
I’ve always felt supported and championed throughout my career at dentsu – it’s one of the main reasons I returned in 2019 after 6 years away. I’m always listening, challenging, and pushing for better and my colleagues and managers at dentsu listen. This has enabled me to mold my leadership in a way that delivers highly effective results from happy and fulfilled teams and be a true champion of those around me; standing up for those who need it. The dentsu media DEI committee I co-founded back in 2020, with the support of key dentsu media EXEC stakeholders, reflects me role modeling those practices & behaviours (every day).
Why is it important for us to #embrace equity as a society/network and how will you ensure we are always starting from a place of equity?
I’ve always recognised, valued, and accepted difference, and therefore championed it. Sadly, despite all the amazing things we are as an industry, and the brilliant future gazing we do, we’ve been slow to embrace the importance of equity and lean into what is truly needed to drive systemic change.
We’re in the business of communications; deliverers of experiences. How can we truly represent our people, clients, and our organisation if we don’t reflect the world, they operate in. We must all, continually, challenge the status quo. Change can come from anywhere, and anyone, and we all have a role to play.
