You can tell I’m a child of the 1970’s when I immediately think of David Bowie as a way to chart the changes in my life. His lyrics immediately pop to mind - especially as I’ve made a major change in my career. (Dear Gen Y’ers and Millennials - do watch this historic footage below.)
On Monday, 12 October I started a new role here in Sydney with Fleishman-Hillard, one of the largest global public relations consultancies. I’ll manage the Sydney office and have a triple-barrel title (SVP & Partner, GM - Sydney). I’ll have to get a longer business card.
For two years I managed my own consultancy, Perception Counsel. It was coincidental to launch a new business in the lead-up to The Great Recession. (Cool to see it with capital letters like 1930’s The Great Depression.) The upside - as all business owners know - is the flexibility and freedom that comes from reporting to yourself. Yet what I missed most was the interaction with like-minded colleagues. And in a single stroke I entered a wide and varied network. FH has 80 offices and I’ve had welcome notes from Atlanta, Seoul, Tokyo, Dallas, New York and St Louis (Global HQ firmly in the Midwest).
In addition, FH is part of Omnicom Group - one of the world’s leading diversified communications companies. Partner firms are in advertising, branding, direct mail, social media, etc. It’s exciting to have an insider’s pass to such an extensive network, especially as I love design but make an awful Pictionary partner (”It’s Lassie. No! It’s Liza!”).
The upside of the new job is there wasn’t that much surprise on Day One. Fleishman was exhaustive in the recruitment process. And while most candidates assume the inquisition is one-way, the firm wanted to ensure I knew what I was getting myself into. I walked in with my eyes wide open.
What have I found?
Fleishman-Hillard has been in Sydney since 2001 and has been a quiet achiever. There’s a considerable track record of high-profile clients and assignments. Today the office has a solid quartet of practices - Healthcare, Consumer Marketing, Technology and Corporate-Finance. The team today is solid and experienced. And like most firms there’s room to grow and time to trial new tactics.
So wish me luck as I adjust my new computer to all my favourite settings, import my contacts, find where the files are stored and adjust to a new routine.
