Aside from celebrating the successes and achievements of female agency leaders, a core objective of our Power 50, launched last week, was to inspire the next generation of women leaders in our industry.
While every female leader featured in our Power 50 has taken a slightly different journey to get to where they are today, we identified a few key pathways to leadership, which we explored in greater depth both in the publication and during a panel session at the launch event last week.
Wherever you are in your career, be it starting out, working towards your first director position, or considering setting up your own agency, there are several different routes you can take to reach your goal. So, we asked a few of our female leaders to delve into the detail and share some insights and practical advice for anyone considering following one of these pathways to the top.
Whether you “fell” into events, or are intentionally starting a career in the industry, working your way up through the ranks will give you a solid grounding and the necessary experience for a leadership role. Depending on personal circumstances and preference, that career path could include roles in multiple disciplines, at multiple agencies, or working your way up within one single business – our feature includes insights from Helen McCabe, managing director, UK, BCD Meetings & Events, and Jemma Peers, managing director at Top Banana on how they navigated their pathways to the MD role.
An impressive number of our Power 50 have set up their own businesses. While there are many benefits to taking this pathway not least being master of your own destiny, it can be hugely challenging both professionally and personally, not to mention lonely at times. Find out how Christine Bennett, founder of Taylor Bennett Partners, Jennifer Davidson, founder of Sleek Events, and Caroline Lumgair-Wiseman, Eventful founder and MD, did it.
If the thought of setting up on your own is daunting, there is always the option to set up an agency with one or more partners – a route some of our Power 50 leaders have taken. Anupa White, director of Principal Global Events, co-founded the agency with two partners in 1994, and shares the benefits of taking the partnership pathway.
The final route to agency ownership is buying an agency, either through investment into a business, a management buyout or acquisition. Both Laura Pace at Yellow Fish, who completed a management buyout last year, and Anna Green, who bought into existing agency Broadsword with her husband a few years ago, share their insights and advice about how to make it work when you come from outside an agency, and industry.
To read the full feature, check out our Power 50 publication here