1. Tell us a bit about yourself?
I am a creative design specialist and entrepreneur with a love for retail, e-commerce and brand development. Out of office, you will find me exploring new cities and places, cooking yummy things, eyeing new fashion and beauty trends. I am an absolute junkie for technology that makes life easier and simpler. I have and use many many apps but I’m known to go off the grid from time to time; usually frolicking in the ocean or river with my loved ones.
2. What work do you do?
I am currently the head of design for SA’s largest online retailer where I oversee a creative team that produces digital, print and experiential content across a host of brand touch points. Every day is different and I could be working on anything from a TikTok video to a billboard in the same day! I am a firm believer in designing for purpose and currently exploring the world of UX data analytics to help my team make better data-driven design decisions.
3. How long have you been in the industry?
I studied graphic design and have been a creative professional for almost 20 years. In this time I have worn many hats across media, fashion, FMCG retail and a very short but impactful stint in finance for a plethora of local and international clients. My first job ever was as an intern at a legendary South African ad agency where my biggest responsibility was to cut and mount presentation boards for client meetings – a paper cut will humble you!
4. Has your work always been your passion? Tell us why?
As a child I would play-pretend that I owned a fashion store, getting lost in issues of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, while other kids played “house”. I was always taking orders with my aunt’s Filofax and calculator and measuring fabrics and cutting out images of beautiful editorial spreads and patterns as my grandaunt had a CMT and my grandmother was a seamstress. I grew up with a career-focused mother and around other working women, so it was a no-brainer that I would follow a similar path.
5. Being a woman in the industry – what does it take?
Being a woman in the creative industry has been challenging at times. For example, often being the only woman in a conversation about a product or campaign that is aimed at women, has been the norm for me. The ratio of creative women leaders is still relatively low (a recent report showed that women only represent 27% of all managerial positions globally) and I see it as my feminine duty to take up space and be vocal for the other women around me. There is still a lot of work to be done in terms of hiring, closing the gender pay gap and skills development for women in this country.
6. What has been the most difficult challenge of your career?
I have never been challenged more than when being a manager remotely during COVID. To keep a team motivated, engaged and inspired when I had not met some of them in real life or when I was stuck in a different part of the world, was absolutely wild. I learnt how important clear communication is to build trust and unity when a Zoom call was the only thing holding us together.
7. What advice do you have for other women in your industry?
Just do you and be you. Women are different. Our brains are hard-wired to approach challenges, tasks and to express ourselves in ways that are not like we’ve been conditioned to believe. Use that superpower to drive change on whatever scale you can.
8. Plans for the future?
I am exceptionally passionate about local business development and the future of technology and excited for all the possibilities that the e-commerce landscape in South Africa presents, so I would say that I would love to continue to contribute to building the future of online retail.
