Power 50 Publication - Flipbook - Page 16
Page 16
Jemma Peers
Managing Director, Top Banana
Laura Pace
Penny Noble
Managing Director,
Noble Events
A Hotelier by profession, Penny came into
the events industry in 1990, having spent
some time working for some of the key UK
hotel companies. She started out at The
Marketing Organisation (before it became
BI), where she worked for David Hackett.
This was followed by a decade at THA,
earning her first Board position at the age
of 35. “I then took the decision to go it
alone and set up my first business with my
partner. I formed Noble Events in 2008,
right at the beginning of the recession,
and now have two offices, one in Leicestershire and the other in Dubai.”
Most memorable moment:
Setting up and running a successful
branch office in Dubai. When first we
expanded into the Middle East, I was
frequently asked where my boss was in
formal meetings. Seven years ago, female
sole-shareholders were extremely
uncommon in the region.
Proudest professional achievement:
Noble Events! I am enormously proud of
what my team and I have achieved over
the years. I fully recognise that, whilst it is
my name above the door, I have not done
this alone.
Person who most inspired me:
David Hackett was my absolute mentor. I
didn't always agree with him, which is why
the formula worked. I was always able to
challenge him; provided I had the
evidence to back up my point! My female
mentor, from my hotel days, was an
incredible lady by the name of Rachel
Carruthers; an absolute force to be
reckoned with, but fair, extremely generous of her time and incredibly supportive
of women in business.
Managing Director
& Owner, Yellow Fish
Laura started out in music PR and
marketing before moving into arts
marketing, working at iconic destinations
such as the South Bank, where she first
stumbled across the concept of
experiential marketing. “I was immediately
in love. For me experiential marketing
united my passion for live and
communications. I moved to the leading
brand experience agency Hot Pickle and
was lucky enough to deliver global
campaigns for household brands such as
Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Guinness and
Coke. Eight years later I was approached
about the MD role at Yellow Fish - whilst
my experience in the corporate space
was limited, I knew I had a lot to bring to
the table as an agency leader, strategist
and marketeer.”
Biggest challenge:
My biggest challenge has been finding the
balance between work and personal life.
I'm an all or nothing kind of girl. There have
been times when the scales have been
unbalanced but I've worked hard to find
the balance that works for me and my
family.
Proudest professional achievement:
Leading a team to shut down Regent
Street for a party for Magnum's 25th
birthday. We created the world’s longest
dipping bar, served 25,000 ice creams,
had fashion shows, flash mobs and more.
Leading such a large team through such
a complex and time sensitive event and
then seeing thousands of consumers
enjoy our work was a feeling like no other.
Person who most inspired me:
If I can only choose one it has to be my
Mum. Watching her build her own
business, whilst being an amazing parent
and inspiring other people was the
biggest inspiration. She showed me if you
work hard and are single minded you can
achieve anything.
Jemma started working as an event
assistant at Corporate Innovations (now
CI Group) and very quickly worked her way
up to event manager, then account
manager looking after the agency’s
biggest account at the request of the
client, senior account manager and
business unit manager. She achieved a
board role as client services director in 11
short years just before turning 30. After
working as event director at AYMTM, she
took a side-step into an account director
role at Top Banana before being offered
the commercial director role.
“I had always been quite open with
Richard Bridge that I wanted to work my
way up. We worked together and with
different external mentors to support my
development to managing director, which
I was appointed to in January 2021.”
Most memorable moment:
When a former line report was promoted
to a brilliant role in her new agency and
name checked me as giving her the
inspiration to achieve her career goals. Of
course, it was purely down to her own
exceptional talents, but if I can support
and give confidence to just one person to
achieve their goals then I am happy.
Biggest challenge:
For me personally in my career, my age
and gender has always been the biggest
challenge I have had to overcome. It has
been refreshing during the last five years
to push against the stereotype and prove
no matter what age or sex, you can
achieve your goals. I am super proud of
being an under 40 female MD and working
mum to a gorgeous 10-year-old boy and
am lucky to have an employer who
supports me fully both personally and
professionally.
Proudest professional achievement:
I am so proud of so many things from
being one of the inaugural C&IT A List, to
being a board member by the time I was
30. But I think my proudest achievement
was being made managing director at
Top Banana. I am so in awe of our team
and what they achieve week in week out,
to be trusted to be their leader really does
make me incredibly proud.
