“We are lucky in marketing, we really can do things differently as leaders, businesses and brands.”

Meena Miles, Director of Global Advertising Operations at The Independent, is explaining the importance of not shrinking our collective ambitions when it comes to shaping a more inclusive future of work.

“We learned a lot of lessons about how to have balance in the pandemic. I am hearing more and more about companies telling people to come to the office more, but we have to make sure we aren’t going backwards.” She explains that it is always going to be short-sighted to put in rules without thinking about the impact that they will have on people at different stages of their lives and careers.

Miles’ continual drive towards a better future was recognised by the Women in Marketing Awards, where last year she picked up the much-coveted Change Maker Award. A moment she describes as the pinnacle of her career.

“Winning this award was a massive high for me. It is a  huge accolade and I can’t explain how important it  felt that I have finally been seen at 42. It is so meaningful when it is recognition from across the industry from peers,” she explained.

The power of being seen

For Miles, the moment was all the sweeter because of the challenges she had faced to achieve her goals.

“There were times in my career when I was not being taken seriously because I am a woman. I have always had to fight for my voice and work that little bit harder,” she shares. Joining the Independent she felt a fundamental shift in her career trajectory because for the very first time, she was given both the space for her own voice and structures and support to enable her to thrive.

As Director of Global Advertising, Miles is responsible for the delivery of all digital media campaigns (video and display) for The Independent, Indy100, Evening Standard and soon to include the Buzzfeed UK network. As well as programmatic revenue and optimisation of all programmatic partners. Having never worked at a publisher before joining The Independent Miles brought with her a genuinely fresh perspective.

Miles believes that listening is the most powerful tool in marketing leadership and shares that a great deal of her success at The Independent is down to ensuring that her team are not just engaged, but that they feel understood.

She explained: “It is so important to not just build a strategy for growth, but ensure that everyone feels included as a genuine part of that strategy.” This means that Miles is always advocating for her team and creating the right structures and processes so the team is able to create change quickly.

The power of visibility

Miles is passionate about giving back to the industry, as a single mother working 5-days a week she is also acutely aware of the importance of advocating for flexible working for all.

“The Independent really supports me. I want to go to sports day, to mothers day assembly and I feel trusted and valued and that in turn means I want to give more back,” she explains.

Notably, in a hybrid working environment, she notes that visibility is crucial, not just to ensure that work gets done, but that people actually get credit for the work they are doing.

“Don’t assume that everyone knows every single thing that is happening,” she explains “I always say to my team: follow up on every meeting, make sure that people are clear on actions. Visibility in the workplace is not just getting things done it is about being clear on your impact and not making assumptions.”

Beyond assumptions

Having not followed a traditional career path Miles is free from the stereotypes and assumptions of what makes a successful media career. Having started her career as a florist, a short stint at university ended with a job in a call centre at BT Cellnet. She successfully made her way up the ranks before leaving to travel the world. On her return, she specialised in mobile marketing joining O2 Media and then Mobsta, before joining The Independent.

Looking back on her career journey so far she believes that learning to lead has been a journey of growth and self-reflection. She explains: “Managing a team and leading a team are two completely different things, Leading a team is about taking your team on a journey. You can’t make a decision and not provide context, you have to take people on that journey with you.”

Forging her own leadership journey has been crucial for Miles at times in her life when she felt powerless. “Being recognised and winning the Changemaker award meant so much to me, not only because I was inspired by such an amazing group of women, it was the fact I was able to make such a positive change in the workplace when I was going through so much in my life.”

Miles continues: “When I joined The Independent two years ago, I had been dealing with the challenges of being in an abusive relationship out of work. I couldn’t control what was happening to me there, but I had power in my role. I could put that energy into making transformational changes in the business.”

It is a moment of self-reflection which enables Miles to see her own strength clearly. “Against all the odds I managed to make transformative change at work and get recognised for it,” she adds.

Relationships build revenue

At a time when many parts of the media industry are in danger of placing processes ahead of people Miles believes that it is easy to overlook how important relationships are to driving growth.

“We have made so many leaps and bounds because the teams really know each other now. I really helped build that structure and relationship,” she explains. The results are increased revenues, increased productivity and more useful tech improvements. Put simply, cohesiveness directly correlates to cash revenues.

That all-important purpose, a reason to get out of bed every day and take pride in your work, is provided through the editorial values of the publications and its partnerships with charities and NGOs.

Miles is particularly proud of The Independent’s work with Refuge. The partnership, which began on International Women’s Day has spanned editorial coverage, free advertising inventory and the organisation talking to staff about domestic abuse. “Refuge is doing amazing things for women and it is important that women really know what to do in the face of domestic abuse,” she explained.

Prove them wrong

Despite it being a hot sticky August day on Teams in the midst of the summer juggle, there is a fizz of energy in Miles’ every word.

At a time when burnout and mental health are at the top of the industry agenda, how does she maintain her pace at a time of year when it is all too easy to feel frazzled?

“I’ve got two daughters and I want to prove to them that you can succeed and you can achieve,” Miles shares, continuing: “I’ve always had this fire in me. My mother moved to this country after an arranged marriage with four kids and she just taught us that you never ever give up. Nothing's going to just happen for you, you have to get up and get it yourself.”

So my advice is simple, she adds: “Don’t give up. Keep pushing.”

A desire to keep going has not just successfully propelled Miles' career forward, but has ignited a flame of positive and progressive change for the wider industry. For true Changemakers progress is a 365 days a year pursuit.