Jennifer English

Though science was not my career, I am still very interested in the natural world and the ability of scientific breakthroughs to completely change how we think.  In my final years studying science, I was a sales rep for Heineken on campus.  Heineken invited the student reps to a workshop with the ad agency (DDFH&B) to work out what young adults wanted.  I remember thinking they had the coolest jobs I had never heard of.  That started my interest in Advertising, Marketing and Business.  It was a way to combine the scientific rigour of my education with the creativity that I loved so much.  

The TUD MSc in Advertising gave me the opportunity to build a bridge from Science to Marketing.

Michael Hayes had recruited a great bunch of people to the Advertising class.  We had a lot of fun.  The final pitch project inspired a lot of commitment from the class.  We worked late into the night on a brief from David Bunworth at Aer Lingus about flying business class.

So many people in the class went on to interesting things.  There were a lot of entrepreneurs.  Pat Stephenson and Chris Upton founded Boys + Girls.  Damian Penco founded Bloom advertising.  Donald Douglas is a serial media entrepreneur. 

When Deirdre Callan-MacCormack told me she was launching a 3D printing business, I barely believed that 3D printing was possible. 

Mark Mulhern has led a global advertising career and is now advising CEOs on marketing strategy at Consello in the US.  Eithne McSwiney moved from Owens DDB to DDB Sydney and is now MD of GHO Australia. That’s just a sample. Though we believed in our own self-determination, we were lucky to tumble out of Aungier Street into the opening years of Celtic Tiger economy.

Brands people care about are few and far between.  But they are worth the effort.  As Maya Angelou said:  People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Only sick children interrupt my sleep.

When people think about creativity, they most often think about an ad.  But creativity is in every part of the marketing mix.  Sometimes it is time to swing out big.  And sometimes it’s time to resist restlessness and let a campaign play out for years.  It is less about playing it safe versus creativity and more about knowing when to be patient and when to change.  As the saying goes, a desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.  I like to get out and meet people to stay fresh.

I have always said yes to roles that were very stretching.  I’m glad I did.  I moved from science to advertising to consumer planning, innovation, commercial, content and enterprise leadership.  I’ve spent time in different roles, companies, countries and continents. Each felt challenging but became part of who I am today.

I carry a bit of all those cities with me.  NYC is still for art, fun and expanding my mind.  Amsterdam is for flowers, museums and candour.  Dublin is for family, friends and contentment.

Ballinglen was founded by Margo Dolan and Peter Maxwell, two American art dealers who fell in love with Mayo.  Margo invited me to join the Board some time back and I found her to be an incredibly inspiring person.  The artist-Fellows are a who’s-who list of contemporary art.  I was recently taking an art course in NY and two prominent Chelsea commercial galleries were exhibiting work by Ballinglen Fellows Hughie O’Donoghue and Sam Gilliam. 

I love that artists really lean into new ideas, new techniques and uncomfortable spaces. They help us see the world through a different frame.

I have just started a new role as the brand leader of Jameson globally - a fantastic Irish brand and my third billionaire brand.  Having played global leadership roles on Guinness and Baileys, I have a nice sense of adding the third leaf to the shamrock. 

As I am the new recruit, most things are probably a surprise!  

 

As I am 50% introvert, my time to switch off is usually solo.  I love yoga, gardening, grand scenery and a wander around an art exhibition.