Caulfield experience
Graduating from Caulfield Campus in 2007, Kate Hanly is a true representation of how a career is not simply a means to an end, but rather a lifelong, fulfilling journey.
During her time at Caulfield, Kate found herself spending the majority of her time around the oval, netball courts and Lindsay Thompson Centre. She also immersed herself in rowing. This provided some of her favourite memories from schooldays – spending many hours on the Yarra River and representing the School as a member of the first eight. She loved the sense of comradery that the rowing community embraced – the early mornings, teamwork, friends and mentors. All of which culminated in a sense of gratification that only comes from working hard collectively; it provided a valuable life lesson.
Kate also loved travelling to China for five weeks in Year 9. This was a once in a lifetime experience, offering a great breadth of opportunities, no matter one’s passion. One thing Kate would tell her younger self is to “embrace every opportunity, work hard and follow your passions, and remember to set goals and take time to own and recognise your achievements.”
Gap year
When she was growing up, Kate saw her future-self travelling the globe as a journalist on ‘60 Minutes’. She followed this passion initially, completing a Bachelor of Media and Communications, priding herself on good communication, authentic storytelling and reliable news. During this time, she discovered a passion for skiing and travelled overseas to Whistler, Canada. There, she spent a season skiing and working, developing invaluable skills that have proven essential in her professional life.
A passion for marketing
Upon her return to Australia, Kate was employed as a product coordinator for Seed Heritage, which saw her travel to China, Hong Kong and South Korea to work with their production partners and gather inspiration for upcoming collections. This period was a great learning curve, as Kate was still in the early stages of her career working for one of the most recognisable women’s and children’s brands in the country. Kate then progressed to another communications role, where she found herself contributing and collaborating creatively with a focus on marketing. She completed a Master in Marketing with RMIT while continuing to work full-time.
Business Development Manager
This diverse journey has led Kate to her current role as Business Development Manager for a marketing agency ‘WOO’. She loves that no two days are the same, allowing her to constantly work on different avenues, such as new business meetings, ongoing client management, creative design direction, copywriting, proofreading, editing and creating data driven marketing strategies. Before all this commences, however, Kate makes sure to start her day with an early morning walk or run, followed by a coffee.
Kate prides herself on a career being a journey – “that just because you start somewhere, doesn’t mean you finish there, as learning and growing are endless”. She loves that, in her professional life, she gets to build mutually beneficial partnerships, and create and design solutions.
Kate also adores the freedom to explore creativity and aesthetic. She loves a great mood board, breathtaking design or artwork that catches her eye, and the input provided by a great team. Seeing what her designers produce keeps her inspired and drives her to motivate and support her teammates. In the future Kate hopes that she will continue to grow the studio and drive creative client solutions.
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Read more of our 2021 International Women’s Day profiles here.
