Life as an Executive Creative Director

What prompted you to pursue an opportunity in Healthcare Communications?

My path into healthcare communications was serendipitous and slightly unconventional! I began my working life as a freelance graphic designer, for both studios and direct clients. I worked on a project for Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust, designing their annual report, which led to several other health-related design projects. Alongside this, I worked as a copywriter, delivering a range of advertising briefs with my creative partner. During this time, a healthcare advertising brief came our way and a whole new world opened to me. I fell in love with the complex problems, getting my head around the science and the behavioral challenges that healthcare communications offered.

With this experience in mind, I jumped at the chance to join a healthcare advertising agency in a permanent capacity when the opportunity arose. Since then, my career journey has evolved from Senior Copywriter to Group Head of Copy, to deputy Creative Director, and then to Group Creative Director. My career has spanned five agencies in the past 25 years and I feel very fortunate to have gained such rich experiences.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

There are so many rewarding aspects to my role, but the most motivating factor, personally, is to see the team around me develop and excel in their work, knowing that I’ve had a positive influence on them at some point in their journey. I find my colleagues constantly inspiring, and I feel privileged to collaborate with them.

What does it take to succeed in your role?

The most important thing you can do on your career journey is to identify how to work to your strengths, and then find the right environment and team who really need you to fill the role.

Success at any level, however, depends on many factors—not just what you can bring to the party. It can be easy to underestimate the impact of culture, chemistry, and vision, but all these things will influence your success. If you are to effectively play an intrinsic role in the leadership of a business and a team of people, you must ensure that you are all heading in the same direction and working towards the same goals. Like most roles, hard work, dedication, passion, and commitment also go a very long way!

What are the key highlights of your work week?

A typical work week is one that is full of variety. My role involves a lot of team meetings discussing the strategic direction of the organization and business needs. I have a great team of creative leaders who are involved in the day-to-day running of the department, and we regularly meet up to discuss clients, teams, and projects.

Alongside this strategic side, my role can also be quite hands-on, and I often find myself working beside a team for a specific project. For example, I may be engrossed in interrogating a pitch challenge with a creative team or helping the Client Services team put together a proposal. Now and again, I get to work on concepting, which I really enjoy. Reviewing, discussing, and presenting ideas, both internally and externally, is also a big part of the work week, and always a highlight for me. Nurturing creative ideas and inspiring others to push their thinking is one of the best parts of my job.

Are there any achievements you’re particularly proud of?

I was recently fortunate enough to be on the jury at the Clio Health Awards in New York and have also had the privilege of representing our organization at the Cannes Lions Health & Wellness jury in the past. It is always a proud moment to represent my team and Avalere Health, whether it be at an industry event collecting an award up on stage or sitting in the jury room discussing other award-worthy work with my peers. Ultimately, the personal achievement I am most proud of is knowing that I have helped nurture a talented team of future creative leaders who will in turn also earn the right to be considered peers among our industry’s next generation of leaders.

Why work for Avalere Health?

Witnessing the career development and personal growth of those around me is a great example of why Avalere Health is such a rewarding place to work. I see people who are just starting out in their careers gaining new experiences and soaking up information like a sponge. I see more senior employees in the organization continuously striving to be and bring their best to work every day. I see line managers supporting their teams, ensuring everyone has a chance to succeed. On a more personal level, I see how colleagues become friends—people who aren’t just committed to their work, but who genuinely enjoy spending time together, who respect the opinions of others, and value the contribution of each individual.

How would you describe the working environment at Avalere Health?

Collaboration has always been a critical component of working life for me, and it’s very much at the heart of our culture at Avalere Health. One of our core values is “playing for the team” which exemplifies how central collaboration is to our teams and how it can take on many forms throughout the organization. A nice example of this is our “Problem Statement” process, which invites participation from the creative teams in better understanding and defining a client brief. Not only does this create buy-in right at the start of a project, but it often pushes the brief in new and interesting directions, ultimately resulting in better work.

The emphasis we place on collaboration across the business also allows for people at all levels to come together and work side-by-side. This fosters a supportive working environment where employees gain critical insights into different ways of working, ensuring they feel comfortable to push themselves outside of their comfort zones, seek out help when needed, and aren’t afraid to take risks.

After a busy work week, how do you unwind?

It’s important for me to switch off both physically and mentally. Sometimes I unwind by letting my brain stop whirring, in which case I make sure I go to the gym and focus on my physical health. After a particularly busy week, I try to rest and relax with a good book or a lovely dog walk. On the weekend, my husband and I like to head out to North Wales where we have an old Welsh farmhouse on a remote hillside. It sounds relaxing but can often involve a lot of DIY work and general maintenance!