At University I studied BA (Hons) Business Management which was a four-year course that included a placement year within industry. At the start of my course, I wasn’t quite sure what area of business I’d end up in, but quickly found an affinity with marketing topics so I decided upon a marketing placement with TÜV SÜD.
After completing my degree in 2009, I decided to return to TÜV SÜD as a Marketing Co-ordinator. I’ve since been in several roles across the business which have broadened my skill set and provided me with experiences that I never expected when I first applied. I spent five years in various positions working for the marketing team in the UK, followed by five years in the Global Marketing team. Now I head up our Western Europe marketing activities and UK marketing teams for TÜV SÜD, which provides a great balance of operational marketing and leadership of a skilled and fast-moving team.
What initially attracted me to the role at TÜV SÜD was how hands on I would be within the marketing team. I had a feeling I’d be exposed to all aspects of marketing and that I would be able to learn and develop a broad range of skills.
I also connected with the company and brand in the sense that it is focused on technology and moves with technology.
Currently, I’m working hybrid, 50% office: 50% home-based.
I’m passionate about digital marketing and it’s something that I’ve always been close to throughout my career. I love that digital marketing is transparent, the data and result are immediate and, if done right, it can be a playground for testing and experimenting with new ideas.
My role is very broad, from talking with stakeholders to understand their needs and build out marketing plans, to translating and communicating these needs to our marketing teams to create campaigns. Ultimately, our main purpose is to generate new opportunities for the business. I manage a creative and hardworking marketing team for the UK, as well having responsibilities to support with the planning, increase co-ordination, collaboration and increase the impact of our marketing teams across Western Europe.
I like that the marketing world is always changing. It’s a discipline where you always need to stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies, otherwise you’ll be left behind. This suits me as I really love getting my head around new technologies and figuring out how we can align our strategy so we can get the best from it.
The business is constantly investing for the future and looking to grow. This brings innovative technologies and new people which always keeps things fresh.
From a marketing perspective, we’re working on marketing automation which will be a big focus for the next year. It will hopefully change the way we do things and drive more qualified leads to our sales teams. Beyond this we need to step further into e-commerce.
Time. I’d love to do more, but I often struggle to complete work due to a high volume of meetings.
I see the company as a fair employer - they treat their staff well, have a good heart and have a strong sense of purpose.
I feel that the company has really invested in me over the years. In 2018 I was lucky enough to be selected for JUMP, which is the company’s leadership programme for high potential employees. This programme provided me with so many great experiences, took me to countries I never would have ever visited, and I met some amazing colleagues on the way. I also feel grateful to have been supported by many great managers, leaders, and mentors throughout my career.
Marketing covers a lot of different areas, and there is room to specialise and really become an expert in any of these areas, and then enhance the processes and drive best practice to optimise results. By doing this you will add tangible value to any business.
