5 Minutes with… Jen Speirs

BMF’s deputy ECD on growing up on a farm, the industry’s ageism issues and why creative leaders need to give their teams a freedom from fear

If there’s one fact to know about Jen Speirs (left) in order to get a feeling for who she is as a creative, as a leader and as a human being. She’s still got the letter that her very first boss wrote her on her very first day. She takes it out every now and then. And it’s a document that has stayed with her, informing the care and passion she holds towards her own work – and the importance she places on supporting and protecting her team, giving them the space to be vulnerable, be open and free of self-censure.

Now the deputy ECD at Australian agency BMF, Jen has been working on big projects tackling issues like domestic violence and the gender pay gap. And she’s got no time for pessimism about the industry. LBB’s Laura Swinton caught up with her for a big old chat.

LBB> Where did you grow up and what kind of kid were you?

Jen> I grew up on a farm in the middle of New South Wales, so quite far from Sydney. I was one of four kids, I had an older sister, older brother and younger sister. It was all hands on deck; we all mucked in and basically spent all of our lives outside. I was also into debating and public speaking at school – I think what Mum and Dad were good at was supporting us in what we were interested in . They didn’t make us all do the same thing. It was good, we were all pretty happy kids.

LBB> What role did creativity play in your early life?

Jen> I’ve always written stories. At school we had to write a story every week and I was already writing so much that I would basically pick mine from my back-catalogue of what I’d already written. I wrote poetry, speeches. And I always had imaginary friends on the farm, I’d be creating forts and big cities out of dirt and sticks. Continue reading on LBB>>>