Women In Marketing 2024 Edition ft. Tatenda Mutsekwa from FTI Consulting

In this segment of Women In Marketing, we feature Tatenda Mutsekwa, a Director at FTI Consulting. Tatenda initially aspired to be an academic but found her path through an internship at a boutique agency. She discusses the role of AI in her organization, highlighting the work of data scientists who apply AI to real-world scenarios.

Personal Background:

Thanks for taking the time to participate in our ‘Women In Marketing’ feature. Where were you born, and what childhood memories stand out for you?

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. My parents once got me a teddy bear that was my height. It was both overwhelming and really cool.

Describe your high school and college years. You were the coolest one, right?

High school was a great time for me. This was my first experience in a multinational environment. I didn’t know it then, but this was a great foundation for the interconnected world we find ourselves in. I also got an opportunity to learn and fall in love with badminton—it was random, but that was high school. 

I loved my time on campus at UCT. For a brief moment, people thought I was East African because I used to hang out with the Kenyans often. I even had an East African Society t-shirt! On the academic front, this was when I started thinking being a lifelong academic wouldn’t be a bad choice. 

What’s your favourite meal that you wouldn’t share with anyone?

My mum’s oxtail.

What would be your plans for a sudden $10 million windfall if you were to receive it tomorrow?

I would buy a farm and live out my dream to be a small-scale farmer. 

via GIPHY

Can you share an interesting fact or hidden talent not found on your LinkedIn profile? Previous Women in Marketing candidate Anastasia Hamel says that she can breathe fire!

I used to be a silversmith.

Career and Work:

How do you typically start your day, and are you #TeamCoffee, #TeamTea, or both?

I’m not a morning person so I need a good cup of coffee to start my day. Then I look at my phone to see what is trending and any new developments.

What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing? Didn’t the “I want to become a doctor” bug bite you?

I really can’t tell you why I pursued a role in marketing. 

I just knew that’s what I wanted to do. But that doesn’t mean I took the easy route. Remember, I got tempted to become a full-time academic. I actually studied sociology all the way to the Masters level. Then I got an opportunity to intern at a boutique agency and as they say, the rest was history. I am grateful that I did study sociology because it has helped me throughout my career. 

You hold a Master’s Degree in Corporate Marketing Communication from IE Business School (You Go, Girl!!). Considering the rise of online educational platforms like Coursera and Google Skillshop, how do you foresee the future of tertiary-based education?

There is room for both forms of education. The benefit I have garnered from on-campus tertiary-based education is the network and great relationships I fostered with the lecturers. Having the ability to message your ex-lecturer to pick their brain is something I will never take for granted. 

Many industries had to create systems overnight that would enable their respective workforces to work from home due to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s your perspective on remote and hybrid work, and how have you dealt with its challenges? Do you have a preference?

Before COVID, I always required some time to work at home. I would start my day a bit earlier or have a late day. Thinking time alone for me is important. That’s why I prefer the hybrid working model. Having at least one day at home to work on deliverables requires having fewer people around. There are some benefits of going into the office. Sometimes, it’s easier to walk to someone’s desk to discuss instead of chatting on Teams.

It’s quicker and more efficient. There have been many situations where the office reduced the amount of back and forth. 

AI is the hot topic of the day, most specifically, generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. How do you address the challenges you face in your day-to-day responsibilities? Any specific tools you’d like to plug us with? 

The development of AI to reduce workloads has been the best thing for me. When I am working with large amounts of data, utilising AI helps reduce the amount of time it takes for me to run an analysis. I’m lucky that at FTI the data scientists have been working on our AI model to do this work. 

According to the WEF, the pandemic caused a 4.2% reduction in women’s employment compared to 3% of men (from 2019 to 2020). How can organisations better support women and mothers, especially in light of the pandemic’s impact on women in the workplace? 

I think there needs to be an acknowledgement that women mainly do caregiving work. While there is an effort to change this, there hasn’t been much change as the pandemic showed. There needs to be a critical look at culture in organisations; do women feel like they are being judged when they need to take time off or have a different work schedule. Mothers, for example, have specific hours they need to be with their families but can make these up throughout the day.

How can organisations ensure equal opportunities for women to advance into executive positions?

Biases need to be addressed as they limit the opportunities women receive. I follow an account on X, ‘Better Allies’, which shares tips and tools. One tip that really stuck with me is don’t let women do the “work chores”. This means note-taking, scheduling of meetings and booking of boardrooms. This is a small step but that immediately forces everyone to engage with each other on an equal footing. It makes you more aware of your biases on how they limit someone’s advancement if they are viewed as being someone who doesn’t do “serious” work. 

2024 and Beyond:

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self?

Apply to a lot more universities in different countries. I enjoyed my time in Madrid because I got exposed to different cultures and ways of thinking. I wish I had done that earlier. 

What are your personal or professional goals and aspirations for the future? We hope to see you on Forbes’ Most Influential CMOs list. No pressure!

Personal goal: I want to build a wine platform to empower smaller winemakers to access a larger market.

via GIPHY

Who are some of your sheroes?

The Williams sisters are my other sheroes after my mum. They inspire me not because of tennis but because they have other business ventures. That taught me that your career path doesn’t have to be linear as long as you are passionate and committed to what you are doing you will succeed.  

What are you currently reading, and how do you consume your content?

I’m old school, so I prefer paperback. I just finished ‘The Bone Hacker‘ by Kathy Reichs while I was on leave. 

What are you currently streaming that you’d recommend?

Only murders in the building. A great weekly show. 

You wake up one day, and before you know it, you are nearing retirement. What would you like your professional legacy to be? Furthermore, what do your colleagues and superiors admire about you the most?

Empowering and growing others. I’m passionate about developing talent and if I can do one thing right it would be that. I want to not be a toxic manager. 

We are always looking for amazing Women In Marketing to profile. Who would you like us to get in touch with?

Amy Chiwaye and Shaudzirai Mudekunye.

Share a unique message for young professionals in the marketing industry.

Don’t be afraid to pitch that audacious idea!

Thank you for your time, Tatenda. We hope this interview will inspire future leaders and other Women in Marketing. How can people follow you and your company on social media? 

You can find me on LinkedIn and if you want to learn about wine @Melanated_Wines on Instagram. 

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