Jess Hughes
Manager, Brand Campaign Delivery at NAB
Jess believes in the power of creativity to drive business growth and is passionate about building iconic brands. Her experience comes from spending the last 21 years working at some of Australia’s largest agencies including GPY&R, Clemenger BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi, CHE Proximity and DDB; but more recently has made the move to client-side where she heads up the Brand Delivery team at NAB. Starting off as a receptionist for a small indie ad agency, she caught the bug early and worked her way up the ranks whilst studying part-time. Over her career, she has worked across various categories including Financial Services, Retail, Utilities, Auto, Education, and Govt, and was also a lecturer for the Advertising Council of Australia teaching Account Management. She loves the combination of strategic thinking and creativity that marketing offers, and enjoys building happy thriving teams.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
My passion for building and growing strong Brands.
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What was your journey and where are you headed in your career right now?
My background is grounded in Account Management, spending the last 20 odd years working for a number of advertising agencies – GPY&R, Clemenger BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi, CHE Proximity and DDB. But last year I made the decision to move ‘client side’ to further challenge myself and round out my skills as a marketer. My passion lies in Brand marketing, and I’m enjoying being on the other side where I’m accountable for decisions that will shape how our brand shows up in market and ultimately how consumers think and feel about our brand.
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Your favourite food for thought
Books
- The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage Into Self-Mastery by Brianna Wiest
- I could do anything, if only I knew what it was by Barbara Sher
- Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
- Future Women Leadership Series
- On Strategy Showcase
- A Bit of Optimisim with Simon Sinek
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Fun
- Justice
- Respect
- Curiousity
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
Firstly, I wish a program like this was around when I was younger. It’s hard to find connections outside your existing workplace when you’re younger and it’s so valuable to get an outsiders perspective when it comes to challenges you’re facing in your career. I see mentoring as a two-way exchange, a chance for me to use my experience to help someone coming up in the industry as well as an opportunity for me to connect with the younger gen and gain their perspective whilst honing my leadership skills.
What are the top 5 skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Confident
- Connected
- Empathic
- Passionate
- Willing to be vulnerable
Ready to be a part of Assisterhood as a Mentee?
We are now up and running in QLD and VIC – and we’re only just getting started! Let’s shoot for the stars – together!