Natalie Harvey has had a big year, leaving her role as national sales director at Seven West Media back in January and shifting over to Mamamia as the chief revenue officer. Earlier this month, she was announced as the next CEO of the independent publisher.
As a powerful woman in the media industry, a B&T Women In Media Power List long lister, and an absolute force to be reckoned with, Harvey exemplifies leadership, innovation, and courage every day, constantly making the media industry a better and more inclusive place.
Harvey sat down with B&T ahead of the entries for the Women in Media Awards, presented by Are Media, closing on June 11th. She spoke with us on in importance of finding balance and speaking out, even when it’s uncomfortable to do so.
Enter B&T’s Women in Media Awards Now – on-time entries close June 11!
B&T: What inspired you to pursue a career in media?
Harvey: To be honest, it was a bit of an accident. I had two job offers. One was at a Stock Broking firm, and the other was at Seven. A mix of gut feel & my dad’s feedback was to take the Seven offer. My dad worked at Fairfax for approx 30 years so perhaps it was in my blood. That was what got me started, but I quickly became addicted. I love the pace, the people and the connection that media has with the community. We are a thriving industry and evolving quickly!
B&T: Who has been your biggest role model that has helped you get where you are today?
Harvey: I like to look at leadership and role models as taking the best bits from all the people I have worked with that I look up to. Whether they are more senior, same level or junior. I’ll name a couple that have inspired me immensely. First is Maureen Plavsic. Maureen was the CEO at Seven when I was an Office Assistant. I was essentially 3rd Assistant to the CEO. I didn’t know at the time just how impressive it was to have a female CEO running a television network. She set my expectations very high without knowing it. To see her in that role, I didn’t know any difference or think it was a man’s job.
I’ll also call out my mum Joanne… Mum worked at IBM for 20 years. Travelled the world as a business analyst. She would come home to make us dinner and then log on at night to finish her work (I could hear that dial-up internet tone from my bedroom each night). She taught me about hard work, that women can be mothers & executives, and always check to make sure you are wearing matching shoes (inside joke)
B&T: If I were to ask what pivotal moment in your career pushed you to where you are now, what would it be and why?
Harvey: I’ve had a couple of those moments where you could stay and keep doing a job you are very comfortable in OR you could take up an opportunity to learn, grow, and push your own boundaries. That was when I moved from UM Brisbane to Seven and then from Seven to Mamamia.
I hadn’t worked in what I would call a traditional sales role before the first move. It’s true that everyone is in sales, but moving to a Sales Director role was different. I loved it. I was able to use my experience to make an impact and move us in a new direction.
Moving to Mamamia… wow, it’s been a touch under four months, and I have learned so much already. I strongly believe that the next era of leaders in this industry will have broad experience, understand audiences, and move quickly, but you can’t gather that sort of experience without pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
B&T: What advice would you give to the next generation of women in media following you?
Harvey: I’ve got a few, but the biggest advice would be to create a network that you can trust, where you care for each other, where you can be yourself, and you can turn to for advice. That could be a mix of people in the industry and others outside who don’t have a media bias, as often they see things a bit clearer. I mentioned two big opportunities/ changes I made, and I don’t think I would have done it without conversations with my network that led up to that moment.
B&T: What specific industry trends or changes have you observed recently that have sparked your interest and why?
Harvey: The increase in inhousing with clients is occupying more of my mind than ever before. I believe that comes with big opportunities for clients and publishers to create stronger and longer-lasting strategic partnerships. Agency remits are evolving, and that is exciting as well. We are getting more strategic and different types of questions and briefs.
B&T: How do we get more women interested in media careers and stick with it into leadership roles?
Harvey: This is a hard one because it is not just about women giving women advice or encouraging them to stay. Everyone has a role in this. One big area of opportunity for both the employer and employee is ensuring that women who are returning to work or going on mat leave don’t have a progression pause. They don’t need to play catch up or wait 9-12 months for the next opportunity. It will require a dedicated focus from their manager to help encourage and facilitate learning, projects and other development opportunities.
B&T: What mistakes have you made along the way, and what did you learn from them?
Harvey: I’ve spent my time doing the wrong things… many times. Whether that be not delegating and taking more on myself, which is detrimental to your own work-life balance but also enables growth for others, or not saying no to a meeting and missing a school event, I have definitely got better at stopping and thinking where my time is best spent.
B&T: What action have you taken to challenge gender stereotypes in your projects?
Harvey: Calling out sexism can feel uncomfortable, and while it absolutely should not be, it still does at times. Whenever I am exposed to what I would call sexist comments, I call them out. Most of the time, they actually appreciate being called out, as they are unaware that what they are saying is offensive.
Enter B&T’s Women in Media Awards Now – on-time entries close June 11!
