Meet the QLD mentors
Christine Gannon
Client Partner at Friends & Allies
Christine is an experienced agency client lead and consultant with over 25 year’s experience. Brisbane born and bred, her experience covers a range of agencies and clients including RACQ, TAFE Qld, Michael Hill Jeweller, Norco, UQ, the Queensland Government and more. She is a hands-on strategic leader who brings enthusiasm and a problem solving attitude to everything she does.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
It wasn’t so much inspiration as happenstance, as I fell into the industry while studying part-time for my degree.
However I soon came to realise how much I loved working with creative thinkers – to watch strategists and creatives come up with amazing ideas and solutions to solve problems on a daily basis is pretty inspiring. I also came to understand that we were the most interesting part of my client’s day, yet I got to do it all day, every day, so I must be onto something good.
Sure it can be stressful and crazy at times, but I think people who choose this industry love a bit of adrenaline in their daily lives.
I also think an undervalued benefit is the sheer variety of things we work on – we get to become experts in so many different industries and categories on behalf of our clients, so you’re always learning.
Wait, there’s more!
I’m done
Your favourite food for thought
Books
Books I’ve read lately that I really enjoyed:
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– Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara: This book details the transformation of Eleven Madison Park in New York from a standard brasserie to the World’s Best Restaurant, proving that treating hospitality as a “noble endeavour” is a strategic advantage for any business.
– Smother by Eve Thomson: A fantastic story centred around ambition and the risks people take to win, told through the lens of a high performance schoolgirls’ AFL team. When things go wrong, who is really responsible?
– Lonely Mouth by Jacqueline Maley: A great novel focused on what women think about their bodies, their appetites, and themselves in the world. ‘Lonely mouth’ comes from the Japanese expression (Kuchisabishii (口寂しい) which describes the desire to eat or chew something when not actually hungry.
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
– 15 minutes with the Boss: A weekly podcast by the AFR where they interview CEOs and other business leaders. Great for tips and advice on leadership.
– Chat10Looks3: Annabel Crabb and Leigh Sales are hilarious as they talk about what they’ve recently read, watched and listened to
– Against the Rules with Michael Lewis: A fascinating deep dive into the concept of fairness told through the lens of a different role each series – the coach, the ref, and the expert. Told by Michael Lewis, the author of Moneyball and The Big Short among others.
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
Authenticity, Balance, Respect
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
The people I work with every day are my biggest inspiration. I get to spend time, and do great work, with an amazing bunch of talented, motivated and all-round lovely people. There’s nothing better than being at work when we’ve got a lot of exciting projects going on – the energy is electric.
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
I’ve been an Assisterhood mentor for the last 2 years and have loved being able to connect with up-and-coming talent and providing the support and advice that wasn’t available when I was coming up in the industry.
What are the top skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
Collaborative, Knowledgeable, Optimistic, Resilient, Respectful
Ready to apply?
The best time is right now. Take a chance – you never know where an Assisterhood mentor can take you.