The pandemic has hit us hard and on top of that, violence against women is still playing out in the world. March 8 is International Women's Day again. In 2023, it looks at how women can make our lives "indefinitely livable. To celebrate International Women's Day, we interviewed Agency Lead Samantha Catsburg.
How did you become Agency Lead at STROOM?
"After learning the business at M2Media and being able to learn how to build and manage a team at Starcom. In 2020, I joined STROOM as client service director and then advanced into this Agency Lead role."
What motivated you to take a leadership position?
"I really wanted to get into a position like this to be able to make the decisions while maintaining my outlook on (collaborating) - with both my team and clients."
Who are your examples?
"In terms of women, definitely my previous managers at both M2Media (Stephanie Smit) and Starcom (Cornelie Weller). Both with a different but fine way of leading."
As a woman, what does it mean to be Agency Lead for a media agency?
"I think the big difference is what type of person the lead is and in that respect there are natural differences between men and women. For example, as a woman I may naturally operate more from feeling because it is also my understanding that the human is incredibly important precisely in our business."
This year's theme is unlimited livable. How do you (together with men) create an unlimited livable environment (for example, in the workplace)?
"By providing a safe and open environment, where colleagues dare to speak out. If we dare to ask for help and discuss topics back and forth, we are taking a good first step."