Making the leap from agency boss to agency adviser

How and why completing the Institute of Director’s Chartered Director qualification has set me apart and given me a unique differentiation in the marketplace.

My background is in the world of comms, where for nearly 25 years I have worked with organisations to articulate their purpose, engage stakeholders, create value and deliver social impact. In some respects what we now call ESG is what I’ve always done.

I’ve been a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) since 2008 and signed up shortly before I set up my own PR, marketing and management consultancy.

Having run businesses for other people, taking the helm wasn’t an issue, but I wanted to be absolutely sure in my governance and processes, as well as close to a membership body that was influential with and for my clients.

Initially, I didn’t put much effort into my membership, which meant I didn’t get much out. When I did, the results were transformational.

I began by joining the IoD North East (North) branch as a volunteer and was later elected to the role of Chair. This was helpful in developing my network and becoming much more informed on policy matters. It was also where I learned more about the IoD’s professional development courses, which set me on the journey to becoming a Chartered Director.

When I decided to close my agency and become a full-time non-executive director with Wadds Inc. - where we support creative agency management teams with their company direction - it was this programme that gave me the insight, competencies and knowledge to do it with confidence.

I’ll be blunt about it - the non-executive director world is awash with white, grey-haired males. This can be offputting and at times make it difficult to be taken seriously as a comparatively younger female leader with a northern accent.

While it shouldn’t have to be this way, the qualification has served to demonstrate my commitment to the role and underline my expertise. Even better, it has helped to show that years of experience does not necessarily a good NED make. I now sit round a boardroom table and can add significant value where it comes to governance and see real gaps where other can’t. 

Having a background in management and communications is a powerful skillset in a professional advisory role. Directors need strong leadership capabilities; to design and embed vision and values; to engage with stakeholders; and to focus on risk and crisis preparedness. All of these, as well as futures and foresights work and public affairs, sit firmly within the strategic public relations (PR) professional’s toolkit.

Being both a Chartered director and a Chartered PR practitioner means I can bring a holistic and comprehensive perspective to an organisation. I enjoy horizon scanning and focusing on change drivers to help my clients modernise, become more agile, manage risk and capitalise on opportunities. As they say, when you love your job, it doesn’t feel like work.

A version of this post was originally written for the IoD in October 2023.