Creative Director
Pentland Brands Ltd

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Time Code	Katie Greenyer Creative Director
00:04	Hi, my name is Katie Greenyer and I’m Creative Director at Pentland and I’ve been here 20 years. I actually designed this building and now I’ve done our headquarters globally as well.
00:15	I do anything to do with design and creativity and pushing the boundaries and talent.
00:20	I’m really, really lucky because I never thought that a job like this actually existed and no day is actually the same, I love that about it because there’s no schedule, there’s no Monday to Sunday. I feel like I work all the time but I’m so lucky that I love my job, that it doesn’t feel like work.
00:39	My first job ever was working in a record shop and I was 10. it was a friend of the family and he needed help with finding the records. I loved it.
00:50	It was brilliant because it really taught me I suppose about taste in music.
00:54	I’ve always known what I wanted to do. You know, some people say that they don’t know what they wanted to do or have never known. I always knew that I wanted a job in design.
01:03	My dad took me into his work, probably when I was around 10, 11 and I just, I loved it. He was a graphic designer, so you know, it just, I just loved everything about working on a drawing board, having pens, pencils, you know, actually physically putting your emotions down on a piece of paper and I loved that. I used to spend every minute of my day in the lounge, when he was working at home, just underneath his drawing board.
01:29	My mum didn’t want me to go in a job in design because my dad worked every hour that was available, because it was his passion and my mum was a firm believer in sort of 9 to 5.
01:41	Also, for the money isn’t always great but I think the the benefits of being in design and just having, doing something you love, has paid me back ten-fold.
01:51	I wasn’t great at academic subjects and I would actually go, like in maths I’d actually leave the room and go and sit in the toilet and draw.
02:00	My mum dying, when I was 21 literally made me completely turn, like change almost cos you know that brassy girl that had always been there, she properly came out cos I thought if I’m going to die at 48, I need to make sure that it’s worth the next couple of years, you know, I need to make sure that every day’s special and I still think that now because I don’t, you know, I need to make sure that I live every second. And I think that was my massive turning point.
02:33	I actually liked school. I like learning. I’ve always liked doing things my own way, you know, so I’d always put a different angle on it or a different slant. I went to Liverpool University and did a degree in fine art, printed textiles.
02:47	When I left Liverpool, I couldn’t get a job because I didn’t have experience and I didn’t have experience because I couldn’t get a job.
02:54	And one of my reasons for being now is actually that you can get experience and you don’t have to have experience to come and work somewhere like this because it’s set up that I train you to be amazing.
03:06	There’s so many talented people out there that just need an opportunity. That’s my mission now, is to actually, I’ve got where I really love being and I’m really lucky and I want to make sure that other people have opportunities that perhaps they’re not so fortunate to get but deserve because their work’s beautiful.
03:25	My work life balance is, I would say probably to normal people, quite bad, but because I absolutely love what I do, I don’t actually see it all as work. I see it as just me wanting to find out more, to engage with the design fraternity to actually see what’s going on and I’m inquisitive and curious about stuff, so I don’t think it is bad, I just think that if I didn’t do that, then I wouldn’t be the person I am.
03:54	I am very determined and when I’ve got something in my brain, I like to see it through. Even if I have to beg, borrow and steal, I will do it.
04:03	I think one of the probably the best bits of advice is to just, you know, believe in yourself and actually believe in your end goal and what that means and I think if you live by that, then you should go quite far.
04:18	END

“I’ve always liked doing things my own way so I’d always put a different angle on it or a different slant.” Katie has worked at Pentland for 20 years. After a degree in fine art printed textiles, she set-up her own company before working for fashion brand Red or Dead. She moved to Pentland when they acquired Red or Dead and now works across the business.

More information about Advertising accounts managers and creative directors

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£47,320

average salary

The UK average salary is £29,813

average weekly hours

There are 37.5 hours in the average working week

47% male

53% female

The UK workforce is 47% female and 53% male

Future employment

Future employment?

Description

? Advertising accounts managers and creative directors plan, design, organise and direct the advertising activities of an organisation.

Qualifications

Entry is generally via career progression from related occupations. There are no pre-set entry standards, but in practice most directors hold a degree. Off- and on-the-job training is provided.

Tasks

Liaises with client to discuss product/service to be marketed, defines target group and assesses the suitability of various media;
Conceives advertising campaign to impart the desired product image in an effective and economical way;
Reviews and revises campaign in light of sales figures, surveys, etc.;
Stays abreast of changes in media, readership or viewing figures and advertising rates;
Arranges conferences, exhibitions, seminars, etc. to promote the image of a product, service or organisation.

Employment by region

Top 10 industries for this job

Advertising, etc 18267

Sport & recreation 3141

Head offices, etc 3015

Computer programming, etc 2812

Film & music 2751

Other professional 1592

Gambling 1150

Membership organisations 1019

Employment status