Confessions of Women in Business - IWD 2023

How do you go from feeling you have to "explain" your career to owning it? Just ask one of our female leaders at Gumtree. Her ability to evaluate the broader landscape is what enabled her to make moves, no matter how frequent, that put her one step ahead. And it paid off.

I’ve had a real squiggle of a career. This was something I used to apologise for and over compensate for when talking through my CV explaining the shifts and twists but thankfully squiggly careers are becoming more commonplace as people stay in the workforce longer and businesses start to realise the benefits of original and outside thinking, employing people with less linear routes or different sector experience.

When I think about my reasons and motivations around career shifts, it really comes back to the 3cs… wanting to be challenged, I’ve been driven by a curiosity of a new market or particular challenge, and wanting to drive change. I’m also someone who tends to say yes which tends to lead to a role expanding and picking up responsibilities outside of my core remit."

"My career started in fashion (after a brief stint as an actress). Starting out in PR & comms I quickly moved editorial side and worked my way up to editor. I loved the pace of newspapers and magazine publishing but the market had started to face digital disruption and traditional publishers were slow to evolve their models.

I saw a gap in the market to launch a content platform that connected to audiences / users in a different way to print publications and also monetised in a less traditional route, through partnerships, affiliate models and branded content vs traditional display… websites back then were a bit “mag on web”. Suddenly I became more than an editor, I was responsible for the commercials, product, building our audience and had to wear a lot of hats.

Whilst this is the norm for digital platforms now back then this was quite unique. We were shortlisted and came runners up at the AOPs against The Huffington Post and eventually I sold the business in 2014.

Fast forward a few years, I squiggled my way from digital publisher to creative & strategy director to leading a creative and digital agency working with some of the most recognised fashion, beauty and entertainment brands including Nike, Chanel, Sony, Adidas MAC to name a few.

What’s really fuelled my career however is a love of brands, and creative communications, making human / customer connections. And working with good, interesting people.