Leadership Lessons with Emma Gorton, Managing Director at Hanover Communications

In recognition of International Women’s Day, Hanson Search is running an interview series throughout March showcasing female talent across the industries we work in.

In this interview, Amy Hayer, Managing Partner at Hanson Search, spoke with Emma Gorton, Managing Director at Hanover Communications. They discuss Emma’s journey to the top of agency leadership, changes in the industry and the opportunities of AI.

As a woman in healthcare communications, what challenges and opportunities have really shaped your journey to leadership?

I have always been lucky to have strong female leadership around me. Even starting out in sports, a male dominated area, I worked with excellent female leaders. Thankfully, I’ve had people who backed me and recognised the skills and values I bring.

Sometimes career paths are about luck as much as judgement. Joining Hanover probably wasn’t a natural step for me on paper, but I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and gain exposure to things I didn’t already have. It was a bit of a leap of faith, but it has been a fantastic choice.

The role of an agency leader has evolved over the past few years. What would you say are the core leadership principles that never change?

The workforce and the way people work has changed. Many of my team have never worked in a five-day office environment, but we have a three-day mandate because being around people is vital. Some things, like brainstorming or stakeholder engagement, just work better face to face. You also learn so much by simply being next to someone and overhearing a conversation.

In terms of core principles, you should build your culture and rules around the team you want to have and reward those behaviours. This builds a culture towards your future goals rather than just reacting to what you have. Most importantly, an agency’s biggest asset is its people. You must invest in them and create an environment where they can thrive.

Thinking about investing in people, where are you currently investing most heavily?

We have invested a lot in our AI capabilities and tools. We have some good platforms and models coming through that have been built bespoke to the type of work that we do.

However, these tools are only as good as the people that use them. Alongside that, we are investing in skills to make sure people know how to use AI in a way that is going to supercharge what we do rather than replace it. We also focus on the things AI is never going to be able to do, like stakeholder engagement, relationships, our networks and those real softer skills that are critical to our work.

What one change would make the biggest difference to advancing women into senior leadership roles in healthcare communications?

It probably goes against the grain, but I think better paternity policies would make a huge difference. The more that we can do to support men to play an active role in childcare, the more it supports women to come back to work and thrive. At the moment there is still a real imbalance in terms of maternity leave versus paternity leave policies. Shared parental leave policies are designed to improve the balance, but uptake remains low (for a multitude of reasons!)

It also took me a while to realise the difference between equity and equality. It is not about supporting women to show up in a way that fits the existing mould. It is about changing the mould to recognise the values that women bring. We should be looking at the traits we value as an organisation. Do you value people who are outspoken and dominate a conversation, or do you value people who can collaborate and bring in different perspectives in order to come to a better outcome? Diversity is key, and traits aren’t split down gender lines, but it’s important to recognise what it is you’re rewarding and where that drive comes from.

The theme for International Women’s Day was “Give to Gain.” What does that mean to you in practice?

I found it an odd theme, to be honest. I don’t love it as a theme for International Women’s Day because I don’t necessarily see the connection. I feel like in a way it just reinforces some of the older stereotypical views of women who keep giving and giving. Everyone has a lot to give and there are benefits to that, but I’m not sure why that is a specific theme for women.

If you were to name one woman in healthcare communications who has really influenced your journey, who would it be?

I have to say Sarah Matthew. She has been an amazing mentor for me. She has a really good vision and great perspective. She sees things that other people don’t and she is also unapologetically feminine. I just think she is brilliant.

What advice would you give to the next generation of future female leaders in healthcare communications?

My instinct is just to say don’t worry about it and just enjoy it. You work for so much of your life that you need to be doing something that you enjoy. It is a real privilege to work in healthcare and to work on things that feel like they have passion and meaning. Some of the outcomes we achieve make a real difference to patients’ lives. Enjoying your job is such an important part of your life.

Whether you’re hiring top Healthcare Communications talent or considering your next career move, our team would be delighted to support you.

Amy Hayer is Managing Partner and Global Head of Healthcare & Communications. She has a proven track record in advising and counselling professionals on critical career choices across both the UK and the MENA region.

Hanson Search is a globally recognised, award-winning talent advisory and headhunting consultancy. Our expertise lies in building successful ventures worldwide through our recruitment, interim and executive search. Our specialisms include communications, sustainability, healthcare communications, digital marketing and sales.