This Women’s History Month, we’re shining a light on the incredible women who make up a big part of our senior leadership at SuperAwesome, including Sheenagh Rogers, our Chief People Officer. We are committed to a diverse workforce; however, the wider Tech industry still lags behind – according to a recent study by the Women Tech Network, women make up only 35% of the workforce, while the FTSE 100 has more CEOs named Andrew and Simon than female CEOs.

We sat down with Sheenagh to talk about her role at SuperAwesome, the challenges she has faced as a female leader, and how she is advocating for the next generation. Sheenagh has been with us for over 4.5 years and ensures that SuperAwesome is “a great place to do your best work and make each other more awesome”.

What inspired you to pursue a career in AdTech?

I didn’t exactly pursue a career in AdTech but I did pursue a career in People & Culture and also pursued a career/role at SuperAwesome. I truly believe in the mission at SA and it was something I wanted to be a part of. The world is changing so fast and it is really exciting for me to be at the forefront of some of that change and to always be evolving with what the world needs. I find a purposeful mission is inspiring and motivating. Having a child myself now has also helped me see just how important SA is in the industry.

Have there been people who advocated for or sponsored you in your career? How did they impact your journey?

Yes, I am very lucky to say that there have been sponsors and mentors in my career that have been hugely impactful in lots of ways. 

From early in my career I had the opportunity to be around some great people who were invested and believed in me and the potential of what I could achieve. I learned a huge amount from them – some lessons I still reference to this day! 

They guided me with plenty of—sometimes tough—feedback, which was hugely helpful in getting me to the next level. They helped me step out of the day-to-day and think about the bigger picture, which was invaluable as I tried to scale not only myself but also the companies I was working for. 

Their belief, honest feedback, guidance and sponsorship in conversations that I wasn’t part of is what has gotten me to where I am today. There are so many to mention but some call outs to Lone Jensen, Carl White, Judi Hart, Michelle Fogarty, Louisa Meyer, Charlotte McEwan, Dylan Collins and Kate O’Loughlin. Couldn’t have done it without your support!

What are some challenges you have faced as a female leader, and how do you overcome them?

Honestly, I feel very lucky to have worked with people in my career where my gender hasn’t been an issue. I think working in the People & Culture space has meant that I have been surrounded by a lot of strong females and in fact, we need more males in our world! 

I have worked with women in the past who have faced issues with their gender and it can be difficult to manage. Often times it is not obvious but can be small things and other times it can be as obvious as customers being taken on a boys golf trip with the females in the team missing out. I think that’s changing but there is still a way to go. 

I feel very lucky to be at SuperAwesome led by our fantastic female CEO and 50% female team globally.

How do you pay it forward to the next generation of female leaders? What advice or mentorship do you provide?

I try to put myself in the shoes of future leaders and get to the core of what they are trying to achieve and why they may feel they cannot achieve it. 

Talking openly and honestly about my career struggles, mistakes, lessons is helpful in dampening some people’s imposter syndrome. We are all only human and can only try our very best. One piece of advice that a mentor of mine gave to me which I would often pass on is that you don’t have to have all of the answers all of the time. You just have to have the ability to go figure it out.

Finally, do you have any words of advice you would like to share with young women aspiring to become leaders in their respective fields?

Seek out feedback! The good, the bad and the ugly. It is all learning and that’s what will help you to be better. 

Get out of your comfort zone, quieten any imposter syndrome and give things a try. Ask for help and there is no harm in failing – sometimes!