International Women’s Day 2021: The MPB executive team

Accessibility is a core belief at MPB. We provide better access to kit, but we also want to make the world of visual storytelling accessible to everyone. In our content, we promote the work of photographers and filmmakers and help people on their creative journeys.

This accessibility also extends to our own workforce of more than two hundred people—many of them visual storytellers. We actively hire for a diverse and inclusive team, across all levels of MPB. For example, our executive team is made up of an equal number of women and men.

This year, to celebrate International Women's Day, we asked three women in the MPB executive team about their achievements, inspirations, and advice for the next generation of women leaders.

Sophie, Chief Technology Officer

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

Women all over the world work so hard—at home, for their families, for their communities, and for their employers or running their own businesses. I love that we can celebrate that together. For me, International Women’s Day shows that the value of that work is recognized.

What are you most proud of?

I am so proud to be working in a company with gender equality at the executive level. I’m also proud to have stayed in the technology industry, despite pressure throughout my career to move sideways into more female-dominated professions. The second job I applied for was as a support engineer at an internet service provider—they offered me a sales job! Sadly, that isn’t uncommon.

What’s a leadership lesson that you’ve learned that is unique to being a woman?

Empathy is a super-power that I have seen more in women than men. I feel it makes people better communicators, more authentic leaders and inspires followership among the team so everyone is working for the same goals.

What are you passionate about?

Leading and supporting product and engineering teams to deliver value to our customers and our business in an ethical company. I have my dream job!

What hurdles have you overcome in your career so far?

Technology is one of the most male-dominated professions. From the start of my career, where I was one of four female coders out of a team of more than a hundred people, to meetings throughout my life when I have regularly been the only woman in the room, I haven’t always felt like I ‘fit in’. But technology does embrace and celebrate diversity, so—for me—the hurdles have not stood in my way.

What conditions do companies need to create to ensure equality?

I think having conversations about how ambition is expressed in women is a good starting point. And shifting the balance from out-put of work to outcomes achieved is one way to do this. Flexible working and a clear career structure can really help here.

What do you think is the biggest challenge of being a woman today?

For women who choose to go out to work, we need to stop being shy about getting help at home. I have been to many talks by senior women who say they have had a great support structure around them but they don’t provide detail. As someone starting out, that information would have been really helpful to see how this could be possible on the way up. Without a live-in grandparent, a trust fund, or a partner working in high finance. And, if it’s not, we need to fix that.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

The technology industry is accepting of all different types of people, so I would encourage them to join us. The industry has a talent shortage, so good people can go far. And we are designing and building the products, services, leisure of the future—that’s an important mission!

Kat, Chief Revenue Officer

How can we best celebrate and recognize International Women's Day?

International Women’s day is a great opportunity for us all to focus on some of the incredible achievements of women across the world. Not just in business, but across research, the arts, a wide spectrum of areas where women are becoming increasingly recognized for the exceptional contribution they make to society. For me, International Women’s Day is a chance to shine a light on these successes, reflect on the progress we have made, but also on the progress we still need to make.

In the last few years, we have seen progress around the progression of women in business. However, as we all know, representation at the highest levels and in the boardroom is still sadly lagging behind—especially across FTSE companies. I think it is hugely important that we see significantly increased representation in these roles, so that young women have the role models and the aspiration to see these paths in their future.

Being a woman in the UK today, I think we have to feel hugely privileged for the progress that we have made, which many women across the world still do not enjoy today. While there is progress still to be made, even within our own society, we must also focus on how we can support women across the world on their journeys toward equality. I think every woman should have the power to make their own choices and take the path they choose in life, whatever that may be.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Most importantly, just go for it. Don’t shy away from making bold or challenging choices. Women still do not have the representation they should have—across many industries, at many different levels—and whatever your aspirations are, don’t be put off that path because of that. It’s important that you choose to take these less-trodden paths so that you can be an example for the next generation.

Be yourself and don’t allow the expectations placed on you to have the filter of masculine qualities or characteristics. There isn’t one set of rules for success, and it’s important that we recognize our own strengths—rather than trying to subscribe to anyone else’s idea of what makes a great leader.

Sophie, Chief Marketing Officer

How can we best celebrate and recognize International Women's Day?

Working in the world of photography and videography, there are so many amazing women visual storytellers. Using our platform to bring them to people's attention on International Women’s Day seems like a great start.

What’s a leadership lesson that you’ve learned that’s unique to being a woman leader?

I think empathy is an important leadership quality. Whether it comes naturally or it's forced on someone by society, I think having and demonstrating empathy often differs between men and women leaders.

Which woman leader inspired you and why?

Michele Obama. She is the smartest person who supported her husband in his career with such grace, while also driving things forward that she cared about.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Be yourself. I think there's pressure to be seen as something different in order to be a leader. There are many different leadership styles that are not limited by your gender. Study them and find the style which works for you.

What are you most proud of?

Professionally, maintaining my career and growing my family—which is hard work! Personally, progressing in my skills as a photographer, which is probably the only thing I've studied seriously as an adult and I love mastering new skills.

What conditions do companies need to create to ensure equality?

I think a company's position on equality comes from the top—both the attitudes of senior leaders and proper representation. I love sitting in an exec team with a 50:50 gender split. It's so unusual—and it shouldn't be unusual. Everyone needs to see themselves represented and feel there is a clear path for their careers.

What do you think is the best thing about being a woman today?

Opportunity. We're not even two generations away from women giving up work when they got married or not being allowed to join the military.

What changes would you like to see in the next few years regarding equality?

It's great to see diversity and inclusion so high on the agenda in the working world. It would be nice to see it receiving the same attention across the board so that governments and laws catch up. There are going to be lots of missteps as things change, and I think it’ll help to remember that every step is progress.

Thank you Sophie, Kat, and Sophie.