MediaCom CEO Karen Blackett: I want to future proof my business

What I love about my role and MediaCom is that no day is ever the same. My day varies according to what’s happening at the agency. It can be a mixture of client meetings and presentations, senior management meetings, one on one meetings with some of the team, a cup of tea with a media owner, a presentation to the agency and work on new business pitches. I also have the pleasure of knowing so many of our CEOs in other markets and some of their team often visit the UK to swap ideas and inspiration, so hosting some of my colleagues can also be a feature.

A lot of your focus at MediaCom has been on investing in local talent and giving opportunities to youngsters with vocational qualifications. How is your apprentice scheme going?

I started the apprenticeship scheme in August last year with 10 bright individuals who do not have degrees. We sourced and recruited them with the help of The National Apprenticeships Organisation, and we work with Outsource Training who provide training for our apprentices to gain an NVQ in marketing after 12 months.

I specifically wanted to ensure I future proof my business and give talent a chance to shine. Talent into the industry can and should come from all walks of life and the makeup of any agency should reflect the society we live in. Our role is to help our clients sell products or change behaviour for a diverse range of people. Ensuring the agency has a diverse talent base that can build empathy with a range of people is therefore essential.

Each of the apprentices rotate departments every three-four months so that they gain valuable experience in all the different areas of marketing and communications.

We take on our next intake of 10 apprentices at the end of this month, and I’m hoping all 10 of my pioneer group will have secured a full time permanent job at MediaCom by the end of their full year with us. Earlier this year I actually did a job swap for a day with an apprentice - and it brought back great memories!

What challenges do you think young women in particular face when starting out in the world of digital, and what more can be done to help them from a young age?

The communications industry is broadly 50:50 malefemale, however certain areas of our industry tend to be more male dominated and for senior exec level roles this split again shifts in favour of men. It’s great to see organisations such as Facebook recruit some fabulous senior female talent like Nicola Mendelsohn to senior roles. It’s key for young women to have cheerleaders and supporters, especially in digital roles. Other women that can act as their sounding boards, support framework and help build confidence and advice. I’d encourage more young women to find those women that have broken through and ask them to be their mentors or cheerleaders.

What do you consider to be the biggest achievement to date for women in the technology industry?

A number of roles gather media interest from the national press. Nicola’s appointment at Facebook is significant. How it was reported by the media is also telling (a focus on the number of children Nicola has and who she is married to as opposed to her career achievements!).

There are some great female role models at very senior levels in the technology industry; we need to hear and see them more to encourage more young women into the industry. Speaking at conferences, writing articles, doing more interviews to ensure we’re seen and heard will help break down barriers to entry.

It would be good to hear about your work with Women in Advertising and Communications London (WACL) and other female championing organisations.

WACL is one big cheerleading network, a collection of fabulous women who want to help each other and ensure talent is given a chance to shine. I have attended some amazing speaker dinner events with WACL, but probably one of my favourite WACL events is Gather. This is where a number of speakers come together to be generous with their time and offer sage advice to young women in the industry about building a successful career. Honest, encouraging, inspiring and a truly special day.

Do you think the glass ceiling is something that women still recognise, or are we past that stage now?

We do still have glass ceilings in the industry, and it takes more determined, talented and outspoken women to change this.

What would you like to be remembered for in terms of your work at MediaCom?

Future proofing – be that sourcing, recruiting and retaining diverse talent at the agency – staff and clients!

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