Louise Rathbone
Senior Industry Advisor & Marketing Consultant
With 20+ years’ experience across Australia, Europe and Asia-Pacific, I’ve built and led marketing strategies for global brands including Cathay Pacific, Qantas, Westpac and Tabcorp - spanning aviation, travel, retail, tech and entertainment. Most recently, I was General Manager - Marketing, for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026, leading the end-to-end marketing strategy for one of the region’s largest sporting events. It was a career-defining opportunity to help shape a cultural moment for women’s sport, driving record engagement, commercial outcomes and national attention. Alongside this, I work as a senior marketing consultant and industry advisor, with a particular focus on how AI is reshaping modern marketing. I’m passionate about building customer-led, commercially grounded strategies - and equally passionate about developing the next generation of leaders.
Career & Background
Could you tell us a bit about your professional background?
I started my career in London before building my career across Australia in both agency and client-side leadership roles. That dual perspective has been invaluable – understanding both the commercial pressures inside organisations and how to unlock growth through creativity, brand and customer strategy. Today, I sit at the intersection of marketing, technology and transformation – particularly within travel, major events, and purpose-led organisations.
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
I’m motivated by the intersection of impact and possibility – where marketing has the power not just to sell something, but to shape behaviour, shift perception and create meaningful cultural moments.
Working across both global brands and major events has reinforced that the most important decisions often happen behind the scenes: where you choose to take risks, where you hold the line, and how you bring stakeholders with you.
More recently, I’ve become deeply interested in the role AI will play in redefining marketing. Not just from an efficiency perspective, but how it changes creativity, decision-making and the customer relationship itself. That curiosity is driving a new phase of learning and exploration for me.
At the core though, it’s always been about people – understanding what drives them, building teams that thrive, and helping others navigate their own path with more clarity and confidence.
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Authenticity
- Integrity
- Trust
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
I’ve been fortunate to work with incredible leaders throughout my career – people who challenged me, backed me, and helped me see what I was capable of, often before I did.
But my biggest and most consistent inspiration is my father. He modelled what it means to lead with both strength and empathy – navigating complexity with composure, while always investing in the people around him. He taught me resilience, perspective and the importance of backing yourself – values that continue to shape how I show up as a leader and mentor today.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
Everyone’s career journey is very personal, and therefore what resonates may differ, however these are three books I got value from along the way for different reasons (happy to share more when we meet!) :
- Simon Sinek – Start with Why
- Brené Brown – Dare to Lead
- The Squiggly Career – Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
I tend to rotate depending on what I’m focusing on, but right now:
- The Diary of a CEO (Steven Bartlett) – for raw, high-performance thinking and leadership insights
- Mi3 (Paul McIntyre) – for a sharp, local lens on marketing, media and commercial trends
- The Limitless Equation (Chloe Hooper) – a newer addition that explores growth, mindset and unlocking potential
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
Looking back at the key moments that shaped my career, I’ve realised that the people supporting me made all the difference. Often, it was a few words of encouragement, advice that led me in a different direction, or simply having someone to confide in. I deeply value those human connections, both professionally and personally. That’s why becoming a mentor feels so rewarding. The chance to offer that kind of support and guidance to someone else, to be part of their journey, is incredibly motivating. It’s also an opportunity for me to learn from them as much as they learn from me. I see being able to positively impact someone’s career as a privilege.
What are the top skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Collaborative
- Generous with time
- Non-judgemental
- Resilient
- Willing to be vulnerable
Ready to apply?
The best time is right now. Take a chance – you never know where an Assisterhood mentor can take you.