The Marketing and PR industry is shaped by the experiences, challenges, and achievements of many talented women. At Ocean View Marketing, we are fortunate to work alongside some incredible women, each bringing a unique perspective to the field.
In recognition of International Women’s Day, Scarlett spoke with Jo Millard (Marketing Lead at Alchemy Creations), Sital Masuria (Marketing Manager at Alchemy Creations), and Natalie Chishick (Founder of Chishick Communications) about their journeys in the industry. They shared the lessons they’ve learned, the obstacles they’ve faced, and the advice they would offer to those looking for a career in marketing and PR.
Their insights highlight both the progress that has been made and the ongoing work needed to create a more inclusive and supportive industry.
Personal and career journey
Can you share a bit about your journey into marketing/PR?
Sital: I’ve always been passionate about Business and Marketing, which led me to study it at university. During my degree, I took a placement year where I got hands-on experience in Digital Marketing – back when Google wasn’t even the biggest search engine! That’s when I really became interested in the industry and spotted a growing demand for digital specialists.
Jo: After a brief foray into luxury PR, I started the beginning of my career in sales – first in ergonomic office furniture, then account management, and onto selling smoothies to customers in the OOH market. And in every role I loved the opportunity to be creative in the way we developed our own marketing to win, nurture and grow customers and clients. During my time at Innocent, I had an opportunity to dive into account management, then strategy, finally landing in shopper marketing where we supported the sales team with creative activations for customers, helping brands engage with consumers and drive sales.
What inspired you to pursue this career?
Sital: After graduating, I jumped into a career in Performance Marketing, focusing mainly on PPC. Over the years, I’ve worked with some fantastic brands, including Totaljobs Group, Thomas Cook, PhotoBox, Currys Plc, Farfetch, and agency-side, helping to drive growth through data-driven digital strategies.
Jo: I have always been drawn to creative routes. Looking at branded artwork, obsessing over creative marketing, finding ways to creatively engage customers. I guess it probably started from designing mix tape inserts as a kid, to lingering a bit too long around the creative desks in every business I’ve worked in and finally starting my own side hustle eCommerce business in 2013 which allowed me to work practically on both the creative and marketing elements of a small business.
I love the fact that brands can creatively and authentically capture the attention of clients and customers, and having worked in sales, love the commercial (spreadsheet) side of what we do just as much!
Have you faced any challenges as a woman in this industry?
Sital: Before Covid, one of the biggest challenges was finding a good work-life balance – something that’s definitely improved with the rise of flexible working. It’s been great to see how the industry has adapted, making it easier to work smarter, not just harder. Now I can balance work and motherhood far more easily.
Jo: I’m lucky to say I’ve not faced significant challenges, but I do think there are still plenty of barriers for women to hurdle, coming back into the workplace after having children.
What achievements are you most proud of?
Jo: I’m proud to have made a brave move out of London to develop and grow the marketing arm of our marketing and design agency. While it was a gamble, I have learnt an incredible amount in a short space of time – working on a range of projects, across industries and with many incredible clients, and helping to shape our own agency brand alongside our excellent team. When I look back at things I’m most proud of, it’s always creative activations, campaigns to disrupt and surprise and delight. It’s such as win for brands and businesses to consider the humans making purchase decisions – whether B2B or B2C.
Natalie: Getting my first job and working in Parliament, supporting the Leader of one of the main political parties as part of his research and the advisory team. I chose to read Political Science at University, so getting this job straight out of Uni felt like a really significant achievement and a positive stepping stone in my career. Plus, it gave me some fantastic exposure to the political system and workings of Parliament, which I still use in my job today!
Midway through my career, I worked with a health tech company to create a totally new senior director role dedicated to PR, Marketing and Public Affairs, and I held this role for over three years. It was also a Board member position – a first for me. During my tenure at this company, I was also elected by my industry peers to be the Vice Chair of the Health and Social Care Council for the technology industry body, techUK. It felt like a significant moment in my career where I’d proved to myself that my decision to specialise in health and care tech was the right one.
Setting up my own comms company and having such a fantastic portfolio of clients, plus partners and friends to work with, such as Dan and the OVM family. It can always feel a bit like a leap of faith going it alone, no matter how prepared you are, so I feel really lucky that it’s going so well.
Gender equality and representation
Do you think gender diversity in marketing/PR has improved in recent years, and have you noticed any biases or inequalities? If so, how can these be addressed?
Sital: Yes, gender diversity in marketing has improved significantly in recent years. The industry has long been known for having a strong female presence, particularly in junior and mid-level roles. However, there has historically been a gap when it comes to leadership positions, with men often dominating boardroom discussions. While progress has been made – especially with more women stepping into senior roles – there are still challenges, including the gender pay gap and biases in decision-making. One way to address these is by fostering more inclusive hiring and promotion practices, ensuring equal opportunities for leadership development. Flexible working policies and mentorship programmes can also help bridge the gap.
What advice would you give to young women entering the field?
Sital: The advice I would give young women is:
· Be confident in your skills – Marketing is an ever-evolving field, and fresh perspectives are always valuable. Believe in your ideas and don’t be afraid to voice them.
· Seek out mentors and role models – connecting with experienced professionals (male or female) can provide guidance, career advice, and opportunities.
· Develop a strong digital skillset – As marketing becomes more data-driven, having a good grasp of analytics, paid media, and emerging technologies such as AI will give you a competitive edge.
· Negotiate your worth – the gender pay gap is still a challenge, so don’t shy away from negotiating your salary and benefits early in your career.
· Be Authentic – Don’t hide your true self. Regardless of your social class, education, or ethnicity, if you feel judged, it’s likely not the right environment for you. A supportive and inclusive workplace is crucial for your growth, so if it doesn’t feel like the right fit, don’t hesitate to move on until you find the place that aligns with you.
Jo: Things are changing so fast right now, and for generations coming up into the industry I’d advise them to spend time absorbing, networking and learning from others. There are many excellent opportunities for networking in this industry, and it’s a great way to learn and find inspiring mentors. And most importantly, champion and advocate for the women all around you from the outset of your career – help make this the norm.
Natalie: Be curious and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Throughout my career, I’ve continuously been impressed by how women in the industry are so open and willing to provide advice, offer help and nurture others in the sector. As we’ve all been in those young women’s shoes – starting our career – we can empathise, and I think most of us want to help in ways that either we were helped before or where we felt like we struggled at the beginning. There are lots of formal networks and communities to help with this, as well as mentor programmes – which are all great – but from personal experience, I’ve got the most value out of more ad hoc conversations with contacts, peers and partners – where I’ve been curious and asked them directly about their experiences and for help/advice etc. It all starts with the individual taking a proactive approach and reaching out!
Work-life balance and support
How do you balance work and personal life in a demanding industry, and have mentors or role models played a significant role in shaping your career?
Sital: After spending most of my career commuting into London, I’ve decided to pursue a part-time role closer to home. This allows me to better balance work and personal life, making it easier to switch off from work and be fully present in my daily life.
Jo: I’ve been lucky enough to work with fantastic mentors and role models. One incredible female leader in particular offered me an opportunity to come back after maternity leave into a part time role, which transformed my career and offered me a chance to balance work and family life. I’ve also loved working with women who push to do things differently and who positively and confidently drive change in a business.
Natalie: Admittedly, I’ve never been the best at achieving a work/life balance, but I’ve definitely got better in recent years. Ultimately, it’s about setting very clear boundaries with yourself in the first instance, so that these can be put in force at work. Plus, it’s knowing that these will need to be reviewed regularly, because they will change. For example, what you find as a good balance between work and personal life will be different when you’re starting your career and perhaps wanting to invest more time in work to secure opportunities and promotions etc compared to later on in life when you perhaps have a young family and are more established in your career. Either way, having clear ‘red lines’ encourages you to make better decisions about your job and commitments and builds confidence in communicating these to colleagues and managers as/when you need.
Additionally, what initiatives or support do you think companies should provide to empower women in marketing?
Sital: Having flexible working arrangements and a supportive management team that trusts me completely has been truly empowering.
Jo: It’s not breaking news, but kids grow up so fast, and I’m forever grateful that I had the opportunity to be there in the playground as much as possible – something that I really hope our team sees as part of our culture here at Alchemy. Any company that can help women – and all parents – achieve a balance without judgement would be a positive step to empowering women.
The future of women in marketing
What changes would you like to see in the industry over the next five years, and how can companies ensure women have equal opportunities for leadership positions?
Sital: I hope we can see more women reaching executive positions in top companies as I think women are still underrepresented in these areas. I often hear of more women launching their own businesses as an alternative route to leadership as traditional corporate structures may be less accommodating when it comes to workplace culture and work-life balance. I do however, think this is changing. Flexible working and investing in leadership development would help further this.
Personally speaking, I want to show my daughter that she can successfully balance the many roles in her life – her career, motherhood, marriage, friendships, and more.
Jo: I think the industry should be looking at ways to support women to work, and more importantly – lead – flexibly, and in creative ways; job shares at leadership level, compressed hours, equal pay and opportunity. Women in the industry at CMO level are relatively well represented at around 53% – this is an incredible opportunity for women in more senior roles to engage with young women entering into the industry.
Natalie: I’d like to see the gender pay gap eradicated. There is no justifiable reason why a women should be paid less than a man based on gender alone. Based on their level of experience or abilities? Of course. But in some instances, companies find creative ways to use these factors to justify a pay difference between men and women that is largely unjustified.
I think companies would also benefit from more accountability and internal processes to check how they’re supporting and encouraging employees to become leaders in their business. While I always like to believe that success will come to those who work hard, it’s rarely this straight forward. And some businesses have structures and processes in place that include unconscious bias and therefore favour male candidates to progress faster. This can also be true of white candidates compared to the BME community, so I think it’s important for businesses to hold themselves accountable and regularly conduct an honest internal review of whether their promotion system and line management model creates an environment that rewards aptitude and skills irrespective of the candidates’ gender or ethnic background.
Thank you to all three of you for speaking with us. If we all share our experiences, then we can learn from each other and make a big step towards gender equality in the work place.