Trailblazers and leaders: Phy Adjei-McCarthy
Phy Adjei-McCarthy | Head of External Communications, BT Consumer | EE/BT
How did you get into Marketing & Comms?
Growing up in a single-parent household, I was laser focused on getting a corporate job. I convinced myself it would be the key to some sort of nirvana away from the working class struggle. Being Ghanaian, my career choices at the time were limited to a lawyer, doctor, or accountant. While I was brilliant at science and maths, sadly for my mum I was a disobedient child who loved creativity. I was inspired to get into PR, thanks to Absolutely Fabulous. It felt like the perfect replacement to the trinity of West African jobs. Plus it looked like fun, something I subscribed to at age 14. I studied Fashion PR at the London College of Fashion while securing work experience at the likes of Arcadia and Gap. When I left university I quickly decided I preferred the music industry and moved to a record label and marketing agency looking after the likes of Estelle, Jon Legend, Usher, and Jay Z. It was a steep learning curve for everything from managing tough stakeholders through to issue management. In 2008 I secured my first tech PR role at Motorola and the rest is history.
What is something that you do every day without fail?
There are two things I have to do regardless of how tired I am. Read a book. Every day without fail I have a book on the go, Usually non-fiction as I am consumed with expanding my knowledge. I tend to move between personal development, technology, and spiritual books. On occasion, I can be found reading a fiction book, purely as a platter cleanser. I’ve always been fascinated with the art of storytelling and reading is an extension of this. I have just finished Assembly by Natasha Brown – it’s a short yet punch story which really captures what it’s like to be high achieving UK Black women in the corporate world. So many synergies to my life. My second daily must is meditation. I have been meditating since I was a child thanks to my mum. That moment of silence in the mind and focus has been a real constant lifeline to me. I’m forever looking for an additional technique I can add to my practice.
What is the best piece of advice that you’ve received? And who gave it to you?
“Its PR not ER” from a previous PR Director at Microsoft – the nature of reputation management can make you feel like you are in ‘crisis mode’ far too often. Whenever I get that call or email that feels like a hare is about to run, I remind myself 9 times out of 10, I’m not saving anyone’s life. That calm really helps.
What is a tool/hack that you would recommend to anyone starting out in PR/Comms/Marketing?
When I meet new entrants to the industry I always push them to network. Your connections will take you so far. This is more than knowing the right journalists and influencers. I have had countless recommendations for roles etc simply through connections.
Is there a particular comms campaign that you’ve seen in your career that you didn’t work on but wish you had?
Pretty much anything Nike does. They know their customer through to their DNA. It’s not easy to talk to a specific customer while making your message feel like it’s for the masses. They manage to hit the mark every time from grassroots activity through to global celebrity endorsements. They understand societal issues and where they have permission to play. Reading Shoe Dog by Phil Knight really demonstrates how the right leadership can authentically carry a brand for decades.
In three words, describe your approach to your role/work?
Only be yourself – in our industry, it’s too easy to become like the cookie-cutter mould of a PR person. I started this journey without a single role model who looked or sounded like me. I had no choice but to be me. It seems to have worked out!
