NDA has partnered with the newly-launched Women in Trading group for an interview series finding out more about the group’s members and its mission. Next up is Jade Behr, EMEA Agency Development Lead at Spotify.
Prior to Spotify, Jade was at Amazon where in addition to leading the largest trading agreement outside of the US, she also was part of the driving committee to sign Amazon up to Ad Net Zero in the UK. A WACL Talent Award winner in 2022, her career spans 16 years She’s a long-standing member of Bloom and is part of the founding committee for Women In Trading.
What makes you proudest about Women in Trading and why?
The desire to be part of building a Women in Trading community for me was born out of finding myself in trading discussions often as the only woman in a room of sometimes as many as 10 traders.
It took me years to build up a network of women in similar roles, that I now call my trading tribe. I wanted to team up with this amazing committee to find a way to fast track this networking for other women in the industry. I believe deeply in the power of community and belonging and so when you ask what makes me proud with regards to Women In Trading, it is seeing the above come to life.
I remember at our first Q4 mixer standing thinking I wonder if anyone will turn up and before you knew it we had 50 women in the room and it was electric. Even better we had our Friends of WIT, a selection of amazing male allies who were bringing members of their team along in support to help them build networks of their own.
It was a beautiful thing seeing those connections being made in real life and they are the moments that give me energy.
How did you first move into a trading career?
I started my career in sales and as the accounts I looked after grew bigger and bigger it made sense to start negotiating annual partnerships or multi campaign deals. This gave me my first taste at trading.
From then it just became something I enjoyed, was good at and organically became a bigger part of my role. Fast forward a few years and I was running the largest trading deal outside of the US during my time at Amazon, to then leading negotiations for all UK agency deals when I joined Spotify.
I had great mentors along the way that showed me the impact a great partnership and commercial agreement can have on the wider business which fuelled my passion for the role.
What is the biggest opportunity for women in trading today?
As we look to drive parity and representation across all parts of the industry, in my opinion trading presents a real opportunity for women looking to move into more senior roles. Trading often sits at the heart of the business and gives you touch points into all revenue streams.
This requires engagement with a wide array of stakeholders across the business beyond trading such as business operations, legal and finances to name a few internally, while still having a direct route into partners externally. It is a great chance to understand the inner workings of a company and what makes it commercially operate.
What is the most exciting aspect of the sector?
As our industry evolves, the thing I love most about trading is just how much it is still dependent on human interaction.
There is a need for partners to have complex and exploratory conversations to truly understand each other’s business needs and sculpt a deal accordingly. That said as technology advances so do laws and regulations and being in a position to find new and innovative ways to generate value for partners is super interesting and offers us the chance to shape the industry.
What support structures and organisations are most important and effective to you as a woman trading?
For me my network has always been one of the most important and valuable support structures. Different situations and scenarios sometimes warrant different perspectives or experience, so building a community you can reach out to is really important.
They act as a support structure, help you grow and develop but also know you are there to do the same for them. I have a tribe of people that I lean on for guidance and sharing of ideas that range from mentors, to friends, to colleagues and clients. For me one of the best things about our industry is the people and when everyone leans in to help each other that’s when the magic happens.
Do you think that trading roles are still seen as traditionally ‘male roles’? What needs to be done to combat this?
Yes I do, but only because this is typically what we see out in-market. The world of trading has evolved and there is a wealth of incredible women in what we call emerging or support roles in trading teams looking for the opportunity to grow and develop but for one reason or another feel like they do not have the skills, opportunity or contacts to progress.
This is where I think communities like Women In Trading can help in surfacing trading roles to our network, offering interview and CV workshops and encouraging a more diverse set of applicants for roles.
I know a lot of male trading leads who are desperate to build diverse teams but simply do not get the applicants. I hope over time WIT can play a role in driving interest, intrigue and action to apply resulting in more diversity in the discipline.
How can companies better help their female workforce in trading roles?
Much like we focus on building diverse teams for pitch work, businesses should look to do the same for trading negotiations to have a well balanced room. A 2020 study by McKinsey & Company found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than peer companies in the fourth quartile. As traders we are in the business driving profitability so making this a priority just makes sense.
So how do we do this?
First off, let’s normalise taking more junior or emerging traders along to negotiations so they can gain first hand experience on what it is like in the room. If I had a partner say I’m bringing this person along to get some exposure to trading conversations and for their development then I would celebrate that.
Likewise, I would urge all media owners to consider the invites you are sending out to trading events and socials. Make space for not only your day-to-day agency or client trading leads but give them a +1 to bring along emerging members of the team that would benefit from those contacts too. This will increase representation at events and meetings and start to drive the change we want to see in a really healthy and inclusive way.
These are simple changes but create the opportunity for us to all be good partners to each other in developing our talent and representation.
What characteristics make a good trader?
There are the obvious traits of attention to detail and being good with numbers but I think it is so much more than that. Being honest and building trust are paramount, we are dealing with large volumes of investment for the businesses we represent and partners want to know they are in safe hands. Trading for me is about understanding what makes a good deal for both sides. Y
ou need to know what is within your wheel house to give and truly understand what is important to your partners and try to strike a balance. How do you enable a relationship and commercial framework that benefits both parties and lays the foundation for true long term partnership. Yes it is about negotiation and being able to have some tough conversations but it is also about being a people person, being strategic and innovative.
Who is your mentor, hero or inspiration in the trading sector?
Laura Learmouth (Media Director at Active International) is a master operator. The definition of someone who can build great client relationships, while always thinking about the commercial opportunity for both her clients and her business.
Watching her in action is something to behold and her energy is unmatched. She maintains her morales and a deep level of care for partners while having her commercial mindset engaged at all times. A power house, a mentor and a dear friend that has guided me through some tough times. She is one to watch for the future in our sector.
