"I'm a roller-coaster fanatic!" Series 2, Episode 6. A conversation with Rebecca Hirst, CMO UK, EY
Description
In Episode 6 of The Dangerous Women Collective podcast, Sophy speaks to feather-ruffler, Ted-talker, opportunity-grabber, risk-taker, roller-coaster fantastic, and CMO UK for EY - Rebecca Hirst.
Rebecca has worked with some of the world's largest global brands, including EY, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Schweppes, Kellogg’s, Kleenex, Microsoft, IBM, United Airlines, Lufthansa, and Star Alliance. It is not surprising that this work has been widely recognised, most recently as one of Campaign Magazine’s 40 over 40 and a Marketing Week Top 100 Most Effective Marketers. And EY was recognised as the UK’s most valuable brand in 2024 by Brand Finance.
As you might expect, we cover a lot in our Episode, touching on the following topics (and much more to boot):
- The power of following unconventional routes and the success that can follow.
- The similarities of B2C and B2B marketing, and the "fundamental excitement" of building a longer story arc to connect with B2B audiences. If only 5% of your audience is in market at any one time, how do you resonate and keep on resonating?
- The symbiosis of brand and reputation.
- Being a round peg in a square hole.
- Working in complex organisations and navigating senior leadership teams.
- The power of co-opting and holding on to sponsors - "stakeholder management extraordinaire."
- Why ruffling feathers (and getting paid for it!) works!
- Getting more comfortable with age and recognising the power of "little d" dangerous in pushing boundaries.
- Cultivating (or not) a personal brand and the need for real connections with your audiences.
- Conquering shyness and the Ted Talk (channeling the fact that "nobody is looking").
- Being a voice of strength for other women, fostering empowerment, opening doors.
- Being part of the free school dinner gang (and the impact of the EY Foundation).
- Why true business equity should include people from all walks of life because that is how we diversify skills and thinking and effect lasting change.
- Managing being the only woman in the room.
- The importance of keeping in touch with mentors, allies, and sponsors from across our careers.
Links
Sponsorship
Items referenced in this episode
Dangerous Women: Fifty reflections on women, power and identity
London Climate Action Week 2025
EY's London Climate Action Week 2022 Campaign
The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously than Men, and What We Can Do About it
Rebecca Hirst Ted Talk EY Foundation's Access Their Skills video
United States
