How important is diversity in the workplace to you, and what value does it bring?
The diverse nature of Zego is one of the things that convinced me to go from contractor to permanent. I strongly believe that companies should reflect society. People should be able to feel their authentic selves both inside and outside of work. Ultimately it is how you understand your customer base and get the most from your workforce too so it is a win win.
As a parent, do you think Zego cultivates a culture that values your specific needs?
I have older teenage children and so my needs are different to those with smaller children. I may not need to do school drop offs and pick ups; but I do make time to try and talk to my children when they come home from school (3.30pm) just to check in on their day. They still have emotional needs which I have to fulfil as a parent.
I have found some of the discussions for example on neurodiversity and gender fluidity which Zego has put on incredibly helpful to help to open up discussions with my teens. It has helped them to be more open with me which means I can support them as they navigate some of these things themselves or help to support their own friends.
What are the transferable skills you use from parenting, in the workplace?
There are so many! Negotiation and persuasive skills would be top of the list but also listening and learning from them. In my daughters school there are trans people in every year group. I find through them I am understanding the importance of pronouns and trying to spread the word amongst people of my generation who are, at times, a little dismissive.
What’s the biggest challenge of being a working parent?
In one word it would be balance, being available to them when they need it but balancing this with the demands and deadlines of work. When my daughter needs to talk, I try as much as possible to be there before she withdraws into her room and tik tok.
What piece of advice would you give any parent pursuing a career?
Find other parents to talk to and be open with your team that you need to take that 10 minutes out for family stuff. If you model that behaviour your team will feel able to also achieve that balance.
Everyone messes up and may forget the odd special assembly, miss a dress down day, or have a less impressive world book day outfit for your child. Don’t beat yourself up!
What’s your role at Zego and where do you sit within the organisation?
I am the Head of Performance Marketing for UK and IE
What did you do before you worked at Zego and where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
I was a self-employed Performance Marketing consultant working across very varied sectors with start-up and scale-up companies. Prior to that, I was the Head of Performance Marketing for BT.
In 5 years time, I’m likely to be an empty nester so probably in couples counselling with my long-suffering husband.
What do you love about your job?
Working in Marketing, I love the combination of creativity and seeing clear cause and effect from what we do. I have also loved working at Zego. It feels like my work home. It’s a combination of the people and the underlying values which are really closely aligned to my own.
What advice would you give to a Zegon on their first day?
Take time to talk to as many people as you can over your first week and ask for help. Block time out in your calendar for getting work done and question what you can contribute to a meeting and decline where appropriate.
How would your 10-year-old self react to what you do now?
She would be amazed and bemused as she thought she was going to be a shopkeeper!
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Ignore Justine and Joanne, your Ra Ra skirt and bright blue trainer combo is fierce.
Tell us about your typical working day…
I start the day by looking at the sales figures to see what is up or down. I will chat or slack the team if there is anything we need to review to capitalise or adjust our activities.
Prioritisation is key and so I review my to-do list and prioritise what I need to get done that day. I look at the meetings for the day and figure out if there is any prep needed for the meeting.
Mondays and Tuesdays are meeting heavy, largely centring on performance and special projects all with the aim of driving GWP for the business.
The rest of the week the team and I spend looking for new opportunities and optimising our channels. This could be looking at our ads on Google, working with our partners to generate better quality leads and optimising our Aggregator activity.
If you could entice one (famous?) person, alive or dead, to work at Zego, who would it be and why?
I'm going for Adele. I would love to see her randomly joining Zoom calls, doing a bit of singing and being her beautiful down to earth self. She would bring humour and entertainment.
If you had unlimited money to start your own business, what would it be?
It would be a care home, children’s nursery and petting zoo combined. I love documentaries that show that both the old and young benefit from being with each other and that having animals around relieves stress. I'm basically just futureproofing my own life!
What’s your favourite way to spend a day off?
A walk with my dog Indi and friends who also have dogs, followed by coffee and cake. I would then go for a massage and finally cook or bake something which I wouldn't usually have the time to do.
Where’s the next place on your travel bucket list and why?
Cuba. I really want to experience the culture and the beauty of this place before it changes.
What was the last thing you read?
Miriam Margolyes biography is a fascinating insight into the tensions she experienced as a gay woman from the Jewish culture forging a career in acting. It's unapologetically filthy (be warned).
If you had to choose a song to personify you, what would it be?
I wanna dance with somebody by Whitney. It’s upbeat and positive and I like dancing in the kitchen to this despite my daughters begging me to stop cos it’s cringe.