In this series, AdNews takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. This time it's We Are Social CEO Suzie Shaw.
Time in current role:
Nine years at We Are Social (and one year on the board of Sydney FC).
How would you describe what the company does?
We are a socially led creative agency. We help large consumer brands establish a strong presence in social, to engage new and existing consumers.
What do you do day to day?
Provide strategic leadership to our clients and 60-strong team in Sydney. That involves day-to-day management of our people, working with them to drive our growth through business and product development, as well as delivering for our clients. I also liaise with our global team, providing commercial and creative updates to ensure we remain aligned.
Define your job in one word:
Communication.
I got into the industry because:
I love creativity and advertising seemed like one of the best ways to work in commercial creativity. I was smitten from day one – I thought I had arrived in Hollywood.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Balancing the tension between what people want and what’s commercially viable.
What’s the biggest industry wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
I think we’ve seen some really great progress in driving equity in gender and diversity in our industry, but progress is yet to be made on ageism. That’s the next frontier in the DE&I space and our industry is about as bad as it gets in terms of suffering from ageism.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
My former boss, Deborah Kerr, really championed my progress. We were very different in our skills and style, but rather than backing only those who were in her own mould, she saw my strengths and shone a spotlight on them. She also taught me so much about the importance of relationships and networking.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Demonstrate you can be trusted to get shit done. Work hard, lead strategically, be resourceful - and build relationships, internally and externally.
If I wasn’t doing this for a living, I'd be:
A movie producer - that’s my fantasy job!
My philosophy is:
Do what you say. Lead with integrity, be strong and be brave.
My favourite advert is:
PlayStation, Double Life.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
I subscribe to virtually everything from Binge and Kayo, to Netflix and Paramount+, Optus Sport and Spotify. My daily diet consists of lots of podcasts on Spotify, football on Optus Sport or Paramount+ and film and TV on one of the many streaming services.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
One of the first things I do when I wake up is play Wordle. It just gets my brain going.
In five years time, I'll be:
Working, but hopefully spending more time travelling, and visiting my adult children in far-flung places.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
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