Leading from the front

International Women’s Day (IWD) belongs to everyone, and thanks in part to the example set by the leadership team here at Revere, everyone has the freedom to express their own understanding of inclusivity and parity.

Ahead of International Women’s Day (IDW) 2023 we shine a spotlight and celebrate the achievements of Fiona McKenzie and Rintje Barnes, two of our female leadership team. We reflect on their journey, observations of change, and how we can continue to play our part to #EmbraceEquity and create an inclusive working environment for all.

For most of your careers you have both juggled work and being the main caregiver to your children, what were your biggest challenges?

Fee: Accepting you can’t always do it all has been my biggest challenge. Seems simple to say now, but it took me a long time to be at peace with it. Pre-Covid it simply wasn’t as easy to make every nursery or school event, so looking back I missed out on a lot.

Home-schooling during the lockdown was the biggest juggling act I’ve ever navigated. I was surrounded by support from my colleagues, but I felt a responsibility to continue to lead the business during that turbulent time. Work-life balance was non-existent and my mental health was, like most working parents, low.

On all fronts, however, I should be honest. I was fortunate to have significant childcare support from my parents. Without them, things could have looked very different. I hope that childcare support will continue to evolve to be more supportive of women.

Rinjte: My biggest challenge was needing to be in two places at once – I felt like I had two jobs, one as a parent and the second as a creative. Back in the day, as a Senior Designer/Art Director, the hours I worked as a creative were significantly more and being there for a young child initially was a strain. You end up being creative in how you divide your time.

My main aim was always to make sure I was there so that together we had the evening meal/playtime/bedtime routine even if it was a little later than usual. It certainly helped our relationship long term. Once they were asleep, I’d log back on. I soon learnt to be super organised and understand how important it is to prioritise your time. As a single parent, it’s vital.

You certainly pick up ways to confidently make decisions and have a calm perspective where work is concerned. And then the weekends were spent being the mother I wished I could be during the week.

What change have you witnessed for women in leadership roles during your careers?

Fee: Before Revere, I‘d only ever worked in organisations with male leaders or leadership teams. When I took on the role of MD, I was overwhelmed by the comments from women across the organisation who told me they were motivated and excited to work for a female leader. It hadn’t been something I’d factored into my thinking on the announcement but, reflecting on their feedback, I’m proud to be in a position to champion female leadership. 71% of our leadership team at Revere is female, so it’s certainly a shift from what was often the norm 10 to 15 years ago.

The acceptance and willingness of women to speak up are also improving. I was guilty of not educating or challenging people in the past. Today there’s a more active discussion to challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination and draw attention to bias.

Rintje: Witnessing the gradual entry of females into creative roles is a joy to behold. Having a diverse team helps with creative ideas and different viewpoints. For example, in my first ever job I was the only female junior creative in my department – and I would say some of the agencies I’ve worked for previously fell short of female creative leaders.

I’ve only experienced one female Creative Director in my entire career and while I see vast improvements, we need to keep going.

What have been your career highlights?

Fee: I’ve been fortunate to have worked with several people across my career who’ve been close allies and supported my growth. This has been instrumental to my career progression.

When I was in my 20s, I worked closely for several years with a technology vendor and its all-male leadership to organise and drive its internal and external events strategy. My voice was heard and respected and my age and gender weren’t a factor – perhaps celebrated even as a differing perspective.

Alongside this, I’ve been fortunate that Revere has fostered a culture of support where women champion and celebrate each other’s success, they’re not threatened by it. Zoe Bevis, the current Client Services Director, and I have worked together since the beginning and I don’t doubt that our collaborative relationship has contributed to how we’ve both progressed in our roles. There’s been no negative competition against or feeling of threat from each other.

I’ve also been fortunate to work closely with some inspiring female leaders in our client base. Open and honest conversations about being a female in the technology sector, alongside the challenges of juggling parenting, have helped normalise the conversation and fostered motivation to make sure we all speak up when needed.

Rintje: I can honestly say that I’m experiencing my career highlight right now at Revere.

Being a part of a leadership team and a company culture that mentors, listens, trusts and rewards is something I feel I’ve been working towards my whole career.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve learnt valuable skills along the way in past roles and made sure I took every opportunity, which mostly happened by chance and was never handed to me. I felt it was harder for me to prove I had the capability in a room where you were sometimes the only female. I realised communicating the right way went a long way to securing team and management trust.

What advice would you give other women juggling a career and childcare?

Fee: Surround yourself with allies at work and in your personal life. Be realistic about what ‘good’ looks like to you and make sure those around you understand your goals.

It’s easy to think we can have it all, but thinking this, in my experience, often leads to more anxiety. We can... but only if we’re honest about what this means for us and our circumstances. I’ve read too many female leadership books where they talk about how they value the importance of dinner with their children every night. That used to make me feel awful as I only managed to make it for dinner with mine one or two nights a week. When they were eating dinner early, the reality is I was still working.

My guess is other compromises are hidden behind this advice. Don’t always believe what you read or add pressure to achieve other people’s standards.

Rintje: Make sure you do what you really love – essential! It makes the sacrifices easier to bear and can also inspire your children. I used to take my daughter into the studio all the time during those ad-hoc days when childcare let me down (and there will always be those days). I made sure she was a part of my life, at work and at home, and this has definitely created a lovely understanding between us and, I have no doubt, given her a great work ethic.

Also, finding a workplace that appreciates all you do and understands your world is priceless.

What do you think the future looks like for women in business?

Fee: I believe a lot is being done to create a truly inclusive workplace culture, so we should focus on the positives and build on those. The education system has a lot to be thanked for as new generations enter the workplace with great insights, perspectives and outlooks. Leaders need to listen and learn from their views to make sure the workplace remains progressive.

Rintje: I think it’s only going to get better – we’re no longer afraid to aspire and dream big. Continuing to learn and upskill will cement our long-term future and having an understanding of ‘you get out what you put in’ will elevate us further.

Hard work pays off and there are now plenty of women in leadership positions to support that. 

At Revere, International Women's Day is more than just a day – diversity and inclusivity are something we embrace and work hard to improve. With leaders such as Fee and Rintje, whose experiences have helped develop the policies at Revere – everyone is treated with respect and diversity is celebrated.

International Women’s Day belongs to everyone, everywhere, and it can make a difference. #EmbraceEquity