Getting Ahead: Charlotte Highfield

Company: Clear

Job title: Charlotte Highfield

1. What made you get into; Brands/marketing/advertising/media?
At the time it seemed highly glamorous. I still have to keep reminding myself of that when I step onto a 6am flight!

2. How did you get into the industry?
After extensive efforts, I eventually talked my way into a job at the BBC. Over the next seven years I really found my feet by learning on the job and essentially, the baptism of fire paid off and from there I moved into brand consultancy.

3. What was good and bad about your first job?
My first proper job was at the Bristol Old Vic theatre. The theatre had very few available resources, but a very dedicated team of people. The role taught me to think on my feet, use my ingenuity and really make things happen. However, like with most jobs there was a down side and in that case, it was that I ended up poorer than the average student!

4. List your jobs to date
Photographic studio, Bristol Old Vic theatre, BBC and Clear

5. What were the best and worst, and why?
A particular career low has to have been packing catalogues in a factory in Leicester. With respect to my best job, it is my current one. I love my everyday role of leading a fantastic team to produce inspiring ideas for wide ranging clients.

6. Who has been your biggest inspiration?
A boss of mine once said, ‘so what’s stopping you?’, which was a great piece of advice and something I have taken with me throughout my career. Additionally, my mum has been a great inspiration encouraging me to believe in others and trust my instincts.

7. Who in the industry do you most admire?
From the world of media, my hero is Greg Dyke. I was working at the BBC when he was at the helm and I greatly respected his approach. Greg’s ability to radically change the culture of a huge corporation to focus on working better together to serve audiences was an incredibly inspiring form of leadership.

8. What is your biggest achievement to date?
Being invited onto the Board at Clear.

9. On what do you base your success so far?
Developing long lasting relationships with people and motivating and enabling teams to deliver more than they ever believed possible.

10. What are your ambitions?
To continue challenging myself and those around me to achieve great results, while enjoying the ride along the way. Perhaps a more unlikely dream, I would also love win X Factor.

11. Change one thing about your job?
A better view out of my office window.

12. Change one thing about your industry
More risk taking, more often. In our industry, we have a tendency to let great ideas disappear.

13. Change one thing about the world
Fewer tasks, more adventures.

14. What is your favourite brand?
Difficult to pick, but Dorset Cereal’s I think have done a great job of entering the market place and premiumizing breakfasts. I would also pick Facebook since it has risen from a complete obscurity to a household name.

15. What is the next big brand in your view?
Aldi has established itself as a value alternative for the savvy consumer. Especially with the economy at an all time low, I can only see the brand growing over the coming year.

16. List your media diet
Television wise, I stick to BBC and Channel 4. Where print is concerned, Sunday papers last me all week and Grazia always fulfils my fashion & celebrity fix.