Thank you, Susan Smith!

Having previously held senior management roles at global network agencies as well as leading highly successful communications campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Microsoft and Unilever, Susan has decided it is time to return to her creative roots. Having spent the last four years of her career as Alder’s COO, Susan has made a huge impact on our fast-growing firm.

Overseeing all the back-end tasks that make the client work we do possible, Susan’s diligence, attention to detail, and her wealth of knowledge from her impressive and varied previous experiences has made her a highly valued member of the Alder team.  She has been a generous colleague and a real support to colleagues, and we will miss her greatly. We wish her every success with her exciting new slow fashion and craft business and look forward to seeing it grow.

You’ve worn a number of hats throughout the course of your career. How have you navigated this? 

I subscribe to the Darwinian notion that it’s not the strongest or cleverest that are most likely to survive, but those who are best able to adapt to change. I seem to be naturally attuned to societal shifts and finding ways to adapt my skills to the corresponding needs. I have transitioned from fashion marketing to FMCG and then again to various roles in leadership comms / DEI, each time learning something that helped to open another door. The key for me has been to make incremental, and at times sideways, moves to ensure I kept the ultimate employability goal in mind while never straying too far from my core competencies. If you know what you are good at and what you can uniquely bring, you know how to sell yourself, regardless of the role.  

Your day-to-day work at Alder involved staying on top of large amounts of data and constant new deadlines. What tips do you have for those who may struggle to stay as organised as you? 

Lists, lists and more lists! I had action lists for each different facet of the role and logged even the smallest tasks as that way nothing gets forgotten and there’s nothing more satisfying than deleting completed line items at the end of the day. Also, don’t put off the more daunting tasks on your list, tackle those first (with the help of an AI if you have to), then you can get to the smaller, more mindless admin tasks as a brief mental break after. 

What is your favourite memory from your time at Alder? 

We are so lucky to be treated to truly brilliant annual off-site planning sessions and I think this year’s 48 hours in Amsterdam was my favourite. Great hotel, food and business-focused sessions that had everyone participating. I came away feeling that I had made a valuable contribution to the business plan, all while feeling closer to, and grateful for, my super smart Alder colleagues. 

Now that you are moving on from Alder, what upcoming milestones are you most excited for? 

During the interview process with Tim I remember us discussing the possibility of ageism in PR and the evident lack of 50+ women. I have since realised through personal experience that this has much to do with caring for an aging parent and mustering the energy to come out of Menopause unscathed. While I want a slower pace of life as I work through these two things, I’m not ready for a typical retirement yet and I am embracing a new start at 60 with the launch of my slow fashion / craft business. In November, I’ll be at a local gallery demonstrating the processes that I use to make my products while 2027 will be punctuated by a series of craft and fashion fairs. With these selling opportunities across the year, I will have plenty of deadlines to keep me focused!