Why women mean business

Jo Leah,
Weber Shandwick






LIFE AS  A WOMAN IN A WOMAN’S WORLD

As a woman of a certain age (47) I have  a lifetime of views on the subject of Women in Business.
I  have lived through several incarnations in my business life ranging from graduate trainee, employee, entrepreneur , mumpreneur and back to employee again running one of the leading European offices for  global PR brand Weber Shandwick ……  and yes it’s been a rollercoaster at times.  Afterall it’s tough going head to head with equally determined, feisty, alpha females with the same skills at juggling a family and  a home whilst running a business and ‘trying’ to look 10 years younger at the same time.

You see women actually account for 70% of PR practitioners  in the industry  and at Weber we have a split of 13/6  so no male domination inequalities  here or even gripes about unfair pay.   We women pretty much set the agenda in this sector, and what’s more we are  the innovators and entrepreneurs in this sector too accounting for 73% of PR start ups.

I started my own business in 1984 alongside great friend and business partner Guy Lawson having served my time as graduate trainee with Saatchi and later employee of Paragon Communications.  Lawson Leah had  many wins and many highlights, including  when the now Chief Executive of Domino’s Pizza Chris Moore rang our ‘cupboard’ to ask if our little four man team could do ‘a bit of PR’ for their global brand (To this day God bless you Chris Moore!)

Being the female half of the partnership only became a challenge through two pregnancies.  I’ve done food tastings with chronic morning sickness, I’ve rubbed baby sick off my shoes before meetings, I’ve rehearsed major pitches to rows of teddies whilst expertly juggling  both baby ‘n’ bottle and even now I live in fear of the NCT brigade lambasting me for being an inadequate mother.

It isn’t always easy but there are rewards in PR for women.  If the statistics are to be trusted I can now count myself as one of just  15% of female Board Directors in the Uk and my kids are pretty nice people too, so job done? …... Maybe not just yet!

Jo Leah is Managing Director of Weber Shandwick, managing both the Manchester and Leeds offices. She previously ran her own communications company and has over twenty years experience in the Public Relations sector. She is a member of Women in Property.

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