Head of PR - Lucy Mutch - Q&A


- Home
- International Women's Day
- Head of PR - Lucy Mutch - Q&A
What are some of the challenges you've experienced as a woman throughout your career/life?
The PR and communications industry in which I work has been traditionally dominated by women, so I have been lucky to have had some fantastic female mentors and role models who have helped me in my career. This has helped me avoid some of the challenges my peers in other industries have faced. Having said that, I have still experienced occasional sexism in the workplace - casual comments that are dismissed as jokes but sometimes aren't very funny. I still believe there is a gender pay gap which needs to be urgently addressed and, most importantly of all, I think it's very difficult for most women to return to work after having had children in a balanced, reasonably paid and satisfying way.
What's your proudest career/life moment?
I worked with Andy Murray, the tennis player, for five years, and being part of the team that saw him win Wimbledon in 2016 was pretty amazing.
What women have inspired you?
Sophie Goldschmidt who was until recently CEO of the World Surf League and had also previously held roles in male-dominated environments such as the NBA (National Basketball Association) and the RFU (Rugby Football Union). Sophie has smashed through the glass ceiling in sport and is continuing to inspire girls who have a passion for sports but have never thought they could make it a career from it.
I find JK Rowling's rags-to-riches story very inspirational and some of her quotes about failure are just brilliant, for example: “It is impossible to live without failing unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.”
I think it's really refreshing to feel inspired by women younger than you and there are some great young women making waves in business, politics, sport and campaigning, like Greta Thunberg, Dina Asher-Smith and Nadia Whittome.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Stand up for what you believe. Nobody knows all the answers so always make sure your opinions are listened to and have the courage of your convictions.
With a good night's sleep, how do you feel/what can you achieve?
I either sleep like a baby, 8 hours uninterrupted, or am awake half the night running through my to-do list with insomnia, so I know very well how I feel on a good night's sleep or bad. On a bad night's sleep, I am grumpy, lethargic and snack all day. After a good night's sleep, I am epic and unstoppable.
What are the essential items in your sleep wardrobe?
My pillow is very important to me and has to be soft and hypoallergenic as I am allergic to dust - I have a ReDown pillow which uses recycled feathers and is double cleaned so it's super soft and does not cause me to sneeze all morning! I also love my Blush Pink French Linen bed linen which keeps me warm and my husband cool!