What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
You are responsible for your career: not your employer, not your manager. They both have a role to play in helping and supporting you. Ultimately however, it is your responsibility to figure out your own path.
What is the most important thing you’ve learnt in your career?
That it’s all about the people, and you’re nothing if your team is not with you. I’m continually learning how to build and sustain good working relationships and align teams. I’ve learned you need to invest in building those relationships, with your team, your manager, and the wider organisation: they don’t just happen.
What is the one change you think is critical for the industry?
The need for diversity. The UK is an incredibly diverse place, with a huge variety of voices, cultures, and perspectives, yet our industry still has a long way to go to fully represent the world around us. I’m very heartened to see an increase of D&I initiatives, and I’m proud to say that Red Bee sponsors RISE which promotes and uplifts women and their achievements in media and broadcasting. I look forward to one day walking the halls of IBC and feeling it reflects the vibrancy and creativity which only true diversity brings.
What makes this industry special?
Everyone in broadcast and media technology knows that our jobs ultimately contribute to delivering content, telling stories, and serving audiences. No matter which area of technology we work in, or which function we fulfil, there’s a never-wavering commitment to enable content owners and broadcasters to tell their stories to their audience.
This commitment has never been clearer to me than when Red Bee faced its biggest challenge to date, in the aftermath of last year’s incident in the Broadcast Centre. After the fire alarm had gone off, equipment was damaged by the automatic gas suppression system, and our full attention turned to restoring services and getting back to business as usual.
I witnessed an incredible amount of passion and determination, as our teams collaborated with customers and business partners throughout this difficult period. It is probably the single clearest demonstration, that when it comes to delivering content to viewers on behalf of our customers, we all go above and beyond to get the job done. I’m proud of my colleagues and thankful for the trust our customers placed in us.
What key skills do you think are needed for your role?
First, there are of course prerequisite commercial, account management and general management skills required for my role. But above all that, the key skill is being able to navigate and guide teams through challenges and uncertainty; and communicating clearly throughout. Leading teams remotely through the pandemic, and during the service recovery period after the incident in the Broadcast Centre, has taught me even more about crisis management and I hope made me a better leader as a result.
What is your desert island luxury item?
A DAB radio please.
What kept you sane during lockdown?
Our dog, Cooper. In 2019, we welcomed our very lively Golden Retriever into our home. His antics, energy and presence alone created enough laugh-out-loud moments to defuse many a tense home-schooling/working day.
If you weren’t working in this sector, where would you be working?
Somewhere in a parallel universe, Mrs Davies is trying very hard to teach French modal verbs and German declensions to a group of recalcitrant teenagers.
What is your all-time favourite film or tv show?
HBO’s ‘The Sopranos’.
If you had a catchphrase what would it be?
Teamwork makes the dream work.
However cringe-worthy it sounds, it’s true. In 2020, I led Red Bee’s marketing team through an accelerated digital marketing transition. We implemented new marketing automation, launched a new corporate website, updated the brand visual identity and much more. The teamwork made it happen. And when one of the star members of that team, Silvia Botella, won the RISE 2021 Marketer award, I was so proud.
