Friday, January 17, 2025
Friday, January 17, 2025
Laura Sutherland is Associate Director, Scotland Lead, at Copper Consultancy. In this feature, she shares her insights into the industry, leadership and management, and what she enjoys in her downtime.
Why did you pursue a career in public relations and communications?
I originally fell into it when a regular customer asked me to go and work for her. But that was 23+ years ago and I’ve never looked back! I’ve tried to vary my career to make it interesting by working in agency, in house, running my own consultancy for 15 years and working across different sectors. I’ve found the journey fascinating and think we’re privileged to be able to get to know so many different sectors and businesses/organisations so intimately.
Laterally I’ve tried to take the opportunity to invest in the next generation through mentoring and encouraging them to look at CPD as a key component of learning and development.
What areas within the industry are you most interested in (currently)?
In 2022 I decided to purely focus on work in sustainability. I developed the industry’s first framework, Synergy, which integrated communication and sustainability across businesses and organisations, specifically using the UN Sustainable Development Goals – an international ‘language’. Now, I’ve landed at Copper Consultancy to head up Scotland. Copper specialises in full service strategic communication for infrastructure and construction businesses and projects which have a positive impact on the environment.
We’re perfectly aligned and I’m now focussing on the growth of the business in Scotland across renewables, water, transport, hydrogen and other decarb initiatives.
On a more personal level, I’ll always be interested in people development, through mentoring and CPD.
How has public relations and communication changed since you first started working in the industry?
Ha ha, now I’ll be showing my age! Well, we’ve thankfully moved away from dial up internet connection, fax machines and shared computers!
I think we’re finally realising the opportunity to be the strategic advisor and not just the yes person. We’re also starting to embrace emerging trends and technology.
One of the best parts of what has changed in the industry is that we have better role models in women, more women have a spotlight on them for doing brilliant things and it feels like we’re even more tight knit. But then again, I’ve gone out of my way to find these great people and surround myself with people I feel inspired by. The industry is what you make it…
What trends are you seeing that pose the biggest opportunity or threat to the industry?
The opportunity is what we as individuals make it. I believe more practitioners need to commit to intentional learning and development. It’s the only way we can dial up the speed at which we move and adapt as a sector.
Talent attraction and retention is still an industry issue and we need to be thinking more about what the employee of the future needs as much as what the business/clients need.
And of course, we’re yet to see what happens across the world when the US presidency changes and as the wars adapt to changing circumstances and support. Whole countries are adapting crisis plans.
What do you believe makes a company a great place to work in?
Positivity, welcoming entrepreneurial thinking and embracing everyone’s unique super powers. Also, Copper has a really lovely way of celebrating people’s achievements and contributions.
Do you work in an office, remotely or have a hybrid model? What is your preference, and why?
We have an office in Glasgow city centre (right off Buchanan Street which is terrible for the purse!) and I use this for days when I’m at meetings in the city, when I need a boardroom and if I’m heading to events in the evening.
I work from my home office the rest of the time. I’ve worked from home for over 10 years, since my Aura years.
As I build the team I can see the need to use the office more to bring us together.
What is your leadership or management style?
It’s certainly changed over the years. I’d say encouraging others to see the opportunities when there are challenges, so looking through a different lens, I’m also learning more from my younger colleagues who are specialists in their areas of work which is amazing as they are so clever, so adding that into my approach to leadership is important. It makes it more a two-way relationship, too. I’ve always been a joiner of dots and I’m in a good position to spot opportunities across the business.
In addition, I want to encourage people to look at learning and development as key to progressing. I know that’s a drum that will keep on beating!
What key skill or characteristic do you look for when hiring new people?
Attitude. You can teach people many things but you can’t change someone’s attitude *that easily*.
What is your favourite book or movie?
At this time of year I love watching The Holiday.
Would you welcome a digital detox for a week or approach it with caution?
YES! I’d just need to schedule it lol. In all seriousness, my social media habits have changed dramatically in the last couple of years. I really only use three channels now – LinkedIn for business, Instagram for food, dogs, holidays and friends and TikTok for scrolling.
Do you prefer sun holidays or city breaks?
I like a mix of holidays. We tend to ski early in the year, then maybe do a sun holiday to somewhere hot like Dubai in the spring, then a sun holiday in the summer and then more weekends away in The Highlands during autumn/winter.
If you won the lotto what would you do?
I’ve never thought about that as I don’t enter it lol. I suppose I’d settle any debts, take my whole family away on a special holiday to create some fabulous memories and then, depending on the value of the win, (it would need to be really really good for this..) but I’d buy my dream car – a Pagani Huayra. For those of you who don’t know me, I like my cars.
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