As part of our Leadership Lessons series celebrating International Women’s Day, our Head of Interim, Ben Mitchell, recently sat down with Daisy Ellen Omissi, Group Director of Communications at Avincis, one of the world’s leading global emergency aerial operators, who recently relocated to Lisbon.

Read about her career, her global experience and what inspired it all below.

What do you consider your greatest achievement so far?

There have been some really cool moments – Manolo Blahnik (my client in Dubai many years ago) guest editing Grazia Middle East; when I worked for Qatar Airways, re-routing flights over Sydney to get ‘the money shot’ of our first commercial flight flying over the Opera House. But it was probably the moment my daughters (who haven’t seen much of me over the years) finally understood what I do when they saw the words ‘A Rolls-Royce spokeswoman said’ against a quote in The Times – and I said “that’s Mummy!” They were very impressed – and just for a moment, I felt less guilty about all the time I have spent away from them.

Who or what has been the biggest inspiration in your career?

I have been extremely lucky over the years to have benefitted from a number of phenomenal female role models. I remember starting out in publishing in the early 2000s and looking up to our CEO, who juggled travel, three kids and a high-powered job – I immediately wanted to be her, even though she gave me a really hard time!

She was a tough boss but taught me the requirement for resilience and gave me an early lesson in how to manage challenging stakeholders. More recently, at Rolls-Royce, our Chief Customer Officer, Jacqui Sutton (now an MBE), was the best female boss I have ever had. Her inclusive and authentic leadership style has shaped the way I now try to lead my own team.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be and why?

I always like to flip this question on its head. Because honestly, my younger self had no fear – none at all. I just took all the opportunities that came my way, with no real plan and no self-doubt. This is the girl who left a fabulous job in London and went to Dubai in 2002 when no one had heard of the place – everyone back then thought I was crazy.

The more senior you get in your career, the more responsibility you take on. Sometimes that can be overwhelming. When I get to that point, I always ask myself ‘what would 20-year-old Daisy do right now?’

The answer is always – she’d just go for it, take the leap and make the most of wherever she lands.

What advice would you give to young women aspiring to lead in the communications industry?

There’s so much to say on this. First of all, never doubt how valuable your opinions and insights are to a business. Don’t be afraid to speak up and hold your ground.

In spite of ongoing efforts by many, I work in what continues to be a male-dominated industry. I regularly walk into meetings where I am the only woman in the room – and it is easy to be ignored. Always be prepared, know your subject and be ready with facts and figures to back up every argument. Take your own communications advice: have your key messages in mind. What do you want people to take away from every interaction? If you take this proactive approach, people will start to listen and, as a result, you will start to build allies who will later become your supporters.

Building an internal network is also critical to having impact in any business. And also, remember to have fun! When it stops being a pleasure to go to work, it’s time to move on.