Trailblazers and leaders: Jennifer Thomas
Jennifer Thomas | Head of Communications, Data & Analytics | London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG)
How did you get into marketing/comms?
Funny story (I’ll give you the short version).
Off the back of a summer job with a tech start-up during my third year at university, I worked closely with the Marketing Director and started working on messaging and media engagement – had no idea that was called PR! I did what I would call MarComms, working on events, website copy, marketing material and media engagement. I loved it. I learnt that I could take complex matters (as I certainly wasn’t an IT specialist) and convey them in a way that customers could extract the value and benefits of the products.
They offered me a permanent role, ready for when I graduated, which was supposed to be an entry-level junior position, essentially my summer job extended into a permanent role. So, they waited a year for me and then when I turned up on day one the Marketing Director had left, and they basically asked if I would do his job (shocked emoji). I couldn’t believe it! I had no idea whether I could do the job, but I certainly wasn’t going to turn it down. And that was the beginning of my communications career – they saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself.
What does an average day look like?
Well I wake up at 5.30am, get myself ready for the day and I make sure the kids, 13 and 11, are up in time, ready for school, brekkie is eaten and homework is complete, check the WhatsApp parents group to ensure I haven’t missed anything (I usually have…last-minute dress your kid in purple day!). If I’m in the office I leave the house by 7.30am and then proceed to exchange text messages with them throughout the journey with multiple questions and me double checking they have done what they are supposed to do.
Quick review of press cuttings and scan of the news before I get in. Then its meetings, meetings and more meetings all day. Mostly internal meetings with stakeholders, leadership and my team and if I’m on duty for the press office it’s answering calls and queries etc. I then rush home to cook dinner and sort and the kids out before bed, followed by a nice walk with my husband and the dog to decompress a bit, tv time with hubby, squeeze in some more emails, usually my Board and personal emails, with a scan of work emails that have come through since leaving the office and then off to bed. And if I’m working from home all of the above, except I try to start the day by walking my dog after the kids have left for school.
What advice would you give yourself knowing there was going to be a pandemic?
Believe in yourself, own who you are and believe in your capabilities. I spent too much time waiting for other people to validate me and trying to be what I thought other people wanted me to be – validate yourself is my advice!
What is the one thing you wish you’d known when you started working?
It can feel very 24/7, externally the news agenda doesn’t stop and internally there is often a lot of work on comms that seems to happen outside of business hours that’s urgent with tight deadlines.
What’s your greatest achievement to date?
I’m going to cheat and give 2 which cover both my professional and family life: firstly having my beautiful boys and the family we have with my husband and secondly progressing up through my communications career while also building a successful athletics career.
What do you think is one of the biggest challenges facing the comms/marketing/influencer industry today?
Attracting and maintaining diverse talent and adapting quickly enough to engage audiences in different ways.
Is there a particular comms campaign that you’ve seen in your career that you didn’t work on but wish you had?
2012 Olympic Games.
What’s the key skill you think a successful comms/marketeer requires?
Being able to influence.