Jess Hodgson, Business Director
As the company’s new Business Director, what drew you to ROAST?
In my work environment, it is important to me that I enjoy working with my team. The people at ROAST, who I had known previously from a different role where I was actually a client of ROAST, stood out to me as a group that were not only motivated and experienced, but also genuinely interested in building a positive company culture together. Having worked with the team before I knew I was joining a company of people that I trusted, a team who placed a huge amount of pride in their work and who wanted to be industry leaders rather than following the crowd. ROAST has been going for over two years now and we are still growing incredibly quickly, working with some fantastic clients and hiring a great bunch of talented people. I’m thrilled to be involved!
What time of year do you find most inspirational?
The Christmas and New Years’ period has always stood out to me as a time in the year that I most enjoy. Aside from the presents and the jolly attitude that sweeps across London, it is also the time in the year which I use to summarise and reflect on my achievements. It’s a period in which I get to stop, regather and reconnect. I come from a big family and we like to use the Christmas period, which also runs over my birthday, as a time to get back in touch with one another. By January, which is often the busiest time for someone in my role, I feel ready and excited to throw myself back into ROAST.
Who is your hero and why?
I don’t really feel any strong affiliation to any one historical character or visionary, however there are a number of people I find inspirational from a range of industries, for instance the late architect Zaha Hadid would be one example. I would say that both my Mum and my Step Mum have led the way for me, both personally and professionally. I go to them for their advice on a regular basis to make both work related and personal decisions. Trust is more important than anything in my point of view. Both women have been incredibly successful in their careers whilst still always being there for our combined family, which is huge!
What do you do to recharge when you’re feeling drained?
I have a background in art, so often I spend my free time visiting art galleries and exhibition spaces. It is not that there is any one artist or particular time period that stimulates me, but I really like to take in the range of artistic talents and productions that have come about from the classical period to more recent contemporary and abstract developments. Like many others, I work solidly in one industry and art provides me with an opportunity to stimulate myself by alternative means to my daily working routine.
Where do you see ROAST in one years’ time?
The agency landscape changes regularly, and we have set a clear vision of where we’d like to take the business over the next year. We pride ourselves on our independence as it not only allows us to move quickly and be agile for our clients but also helps to create a dynamic and variable environment for our staff. In the next year, I’m keen to see ROAST establish itself as even more of an industry leader, we already have great existing partnerships with established tech partners (and in many instances, sit on the advisory board). This has allowed us to propel ourselves forward even quicker, take on more clients and continue to grow the team.
