Michael O'Leary, the CEO of rival Ryanair, said the airline industry would have been poorer without her; "I clearly underestimated her and I was proved wrong. On graduation she began training as a teacher, completing a year at Holland Park School. She has been the chief executive of ITVsince 2018. Dance troupe Diversity took to the stage during the semi-finals of Britains Got Talent last year for a special performance narrating one of the most difficult years in decades. Weve just signed a big ad tech deal and were still the largest broadcaster by a mile in commercial TV, we have mass audiences that are doing very well but doing that ad tech deal is going to be quite an important thing to deliver. Its about everyone being treated in the same way and having the same opportunities.. That doesnt move anything forward. I start my day very early, but Ive also been able to drop my kids off at school. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence. But she is realistic enough to acknowledge that as one of only a handful of female chief executives, her secrets for balancing family life with the corner office are bound to be viewed with fascination by other working women who wonder how on earth she does it. I don't think I knew but I was brought up abroad and there was a program on TV called Police Woman with Angie Dickinson and I remember thinking I want to do something like that, because she was really strong and dynamic. Do you think it would take government legislation to assist women to return after maternity? If an individual has taken a year out, then a lot will have changed in a company. I didn't really have aspirations, but I was brought up in a family where my mum worked, and my dad worked, so I think it was just about wanting to work. I've always thought HR is about people and about talent, learning, development, recruitment, retention succession. After some months, I received an e-mail from an Irish pilot based at Charles de Gaulle airport. I think I flourished in a meritocracy. In 2014, she was awarded a Doctor of Science Honoris Causa by Cranfield University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the aerospace industry and her distinguished achievements in international business and was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2016 New Years Honours for services to the aviation industry. During her tenure the Manchester Evening News and regionally based business were sold to Trinity Mirror, and a 49.9% stake in Trader Media Group was sold to Apax Partners, in a deal that valued the business at 1.35bn. Should you save for your child's future by opening a Junior Isa - and is it better to choose cash as interest rates rise or invest in stocks and shares? I know some people think thats very woke, you know, McCall said. I had a long chat with my chairman and I said theyre going to accuse me of tokenism, theyll say were just reacting. I think as a woman, you have a different experience but you have an experience of being treated rather oddly I think, especially as you get more senior. However, in terms of general leadership, then in my view you've got to listen to people, find out what they think about where they work, what they do, how they do it, find out about their customers, the viewers, the passengers whatever it might be. The comments below have not been moderated. What lies ahead for ITV's new CEO Carolyn McCall I started in July 2010 and it was in meltdown everywhere operationally, customers, all the people. Its about speaking in order to learn and understand, rather than speaking without thinking, she said. Actually, that was our role as a broadcaster, to back our talent," McCall said. The interviewing tells you only so much, no matter how thorough you are. When Carolyn McCall announced that she was moving from the Guardian Media Group to become chief executive of EasyJet, rival Ryanair's Michael O'Leary dismissed her as a media . ITV Ad Revenues Slide Amid 'Political Uncertainty' - Variety [23], In June 2014, McCall was awarded a Doctor of Science Honoris Causa by Cranfield University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the aerospace industry and her distinguished achievements in international business. McCall has topped the ranking, which was put together in partnership with Yahoo Finance UK. She also survived tussles with EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, including over her pay. I think it is probably the single most difficult and actually one of the most critical things that anyone in business or work has to do; but especially when youre a CEO and youre putting together a top team. McCall was born on 13 September 1961 in Bangalore, India. Dan Harmon's upcoming animated comedy "Krapopolis" hasn't yet broadcast a single frame but, in an unprecedented move, Fox has already renewed the show for a further two seas But its very nice for ITV I think.. thats very exciting. Broadcasting is a very powerful medium and it doesnt just reflect society, it shapes society. It works brilliantly, but it does so because they both know ITV really well, they both know each other really well and they also work brilliantly together. I think everyone agrees with the concept and that most sensible and good employers will want to be able to give flexibility to its employees. Adjusted profit before tax for the year fell 13 percent to 672 million . It still takes people aback when I ask that question, it sometimes catches them slightly off guard. Only because I was thinking: people are going to think this is tokenism. In 1986 she joined The Guardian Media Group, where she . I believe people find it incredibly painful financially to come back to work, especially middle management. You need stamina. I implemented the female pilot initiative with a close colleague. That means I have to get around and about a lot and have to see it all happening, so that for me is critical. I think the principle is a good one. Where do you think we are now with flexible working? Dame Carolyn Julia McCall DBE (born 13 September 1961)[1][2] is a British businesswoman of Scottish and Irish descent. A company has to do a lot of enabling, an individual has to do some, and I think Government can do that financially. McCall would prefer not to discuss gender politics. It still takes people aback when I ask that question, it sometimes catches them slightly off guard. Millions of ITV viewers watched as troupe leader Ashley Banjo told his future child the story of 2020. At EasyJet, I set up a women's network and encouraged a LGBT network. Before this, no one was championing female pilots, they were just saying the lack of them was woeful. This is due to the "virtuous circle" that more ITVX shows will create, explained McCall. That Left-wing and notoriously loss-making, uncommercial institution seems an unlikely incubator for one of the most formidable operators on the FTSE 100. [citation needed], McCall applied to be a research planner at The Guardian, which she joined in 1986. I have been talking about it for some time and remember having a conversation with Gordon Brown about this, but it just doesnt seem to permeate within Government. I want to know everything about the business. Great read, inspiring leader. In 2008, she was named Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year and appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to women in business. Just two years into the role and this seasoned business leader has already shaken things up, from restructuring the ad sales team, pumping money into new ad campaigns and lauching subscription streaming service Britbox. The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. We work closely and confidentially with our clients and our candidates to provide bespoke recruitment solutions with a key focus on C-suite, Management and Specialist Appointments. McCalls advice to leaders looking to emulate her success as an advocate is to create strong employee groups who can speak up for the underrepresented, listen to them, and develop clear and concrete plans in response to what you hear from them. All I would say is I think that I have only ever done it one way and you know me well from my past. I don't think I've really changed that much in terms of how I approach leadership and management. I was thinking this is an amazing place because anyone will talk to anyone, its very open, it was very non-hierarchical, and it just felt like the culture was really right for me. At ITV, we are quite advanced because we have had to be from an on screen perspective. They actually then give true insights and might say I'm actually quite quiet but could also say I'm very reliable; so, you get the light and the shade not just the stuff that you expect people to say about strengths and weaknesses which can be asked in many different ways. With her arrival at the broadcaster, McCall becomes the second woman to lead a major TV network after Alex Mahon was made Channel 4 boss last month. crew food is still shit. It was a breakthrough moment. [19] In April 2020, McCall along with other senior executives took a 20% pay cut in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Its about developing people, spotting the gaps, spotting the problems, exiting people when thats necessary but in a really humane way. inspirational, insightful and warmly written. I dont think Ive really changed that much in terms of how I approach leadership and management. During 2019 she is undertaking a series of interviews with Business Leaders who have innovated within their field of expertise and have warranted the description of being an inspiring leader. [3] She previously served as the chief executive of easyJet from 2010 to 2017. Carolyn is Vice President of the French Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain, having joined the board in November 2012. Change is happening on screen too. Her battle against mocking male rivals, obstreperous shareholders and a sceptical establishment to become Queen of the FTSE wouldnt be a bad subject for a small-screen drama. This pipeline plan was a really good goal; one in five new entrants coming in will be women, which is fabulous. Thank you. None of this did her any harm, and nor did a slump in shares and profits last year at EasyJet when she complained Brexit and the falling pound had cost her 40 million, though the stock market value has since revived. Some viewers were horrified. She traces it back to her own experience being a senior woman in the clubby male world of business. What I hear repeatedly is once you have your second child and youre looking at childcare, it becomes very expensive, because youre paying for that childcare out of your taxed income and youre often paying two taxes because if you have a nanny or extra childcare support, youre paying tax on that as well.