Women who are inspiring us: Vanessa Kingori OBE
In a new format for our Insights articles, Megan shares more about a woman who is inspiring her at the moment.
Vanessa Kingori is currently the Chief Business Officer, Condé Nast Britain and Vogue European Business Advisor. She is British Vogue's Publishing Director. She was also awarded an OBE (having previously received an MBE) in the New Years Honours 2023 for services to the media industry.
And when it comes to race and gender equality she is throwing herself behind a number of impactful and hugely important issues - including black maternal mortality and health inequality, supporting and mentoring students in her role at University of the Arts London, and supporting women entrepreneurs through microfund Peanut StartHer.
Having recently heard Vanessa speak, and subsequently researched other interviews and articles about her there are some key areas which provided particular inspiration
Leading with empathy - an approach which is clearly evident in the way that she approaches her work. That isn’t to say being cuddly or soft, but more importantly to understand those individuals she works with. This leads to a greater understanding of individuals; their motivations, their passions, and their personal life, which ultimately helps building relationships and leading others.
Equity, diversity and inclusion - She encourages businesses to think ‘beyond the optics’ when it comes to EDI and consider true change - systematic change. Through building teams which provide diversity of perspective both authentic and organic change can be generated throughout an organisation. When we consider building diversity of perspective this moves us beyond ethnicity but also breaks down barriers such as social class.
Work life blend - Vanessa speaks of creating a work / life blend, not necessarily balance. She raised the point that when you work 5 days of the week, then balance is never going to be achieved - there are only 7 days in a week! This really resonated as she suggests that we’re setting ourselves up for failure to try and achieve this. When talking about achieving a blend, it feels more pragmatic seeking opportunities to incrementally blend work and life together. For example working with people who you choose to work with, exploring the possibility of bringing your family on work trips - extending these to spend some quality time together.
Being a working mother - Rightly unapologetic about wanting to be a mother and have a career, Vanessa has spoken previously about the reaction she received when falling pregnant a few months in her role at Vogue, including those commiserating the ‘terrible timing’. Being so candid about her experiences helps bring these conversations to the fore, and she, like so many other women, are proof that it is possible to have an incredibly successful career and raise a family.
The reason for finding Vanessa so inspiring is her honesty and her confidence about who she is, the journey she has been on and creating your own path. We will be watching her career to see what she does next as we’re sure it will be impressive!
Hear more via the link below: