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Meet & Greet: Steven Miles, Group Brand Director at Hearst UK

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Diversity and inclusion LGBTQ+ professional

In this week’s Meet & Greet interview, myGwork member Steven Miles shares why we need to see more positive queer characters leading their lives above and beyond their sexuality in the media from soaps to adverts. He talks about his career journey to date in the media industry, and the importance of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. He also provides insights into his role as Group Brand Director at Hearst UK, as well as a glimpse into his social life.



myGwork: Can you tell us a bit about your career journey to date?

Steven: I’ve spent most of my career working in the media industry. I’ve worked on newspapers, business publications, in an advertising agency for a while and then in at Hearst UK, working with iconic brands including Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health and Women’s Health. I’ve always worked on the commercial side of the business, mostly in corporate, strategic or client sales roles.

myGwork: What's the most challenging aspect of managing people right now? 

Steven: I’m lucky enough to have a very small but brilliant team, although in my role, I work closely with a wide range of people from other teams across the business that we need to take along on projects. The challenge is the continuous and rapid pace of change in the media industry. The market is very dynamic and helping people to navigate that and not feel swamped by the volume and scale of it is crucial.

 

myGwork: What attributes do you look for in new recruits and why?

Steven: The flexibility to adapt with both the market and the latest innovations is the first thing. I also look for people who can think strategically beyond the current situation and where we go next. It’s important to see people from different backgrounds, and with different experiences from the role I am recruiting for. It can add a fresh point of view to a team. Provided someone is positive and has the right strategic capabilities they can learn about our brands and industry.

 

myGwork: How important is LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace for you personally? 

Steven: I feel very lucky to work for an organization like Hearst UK where how I identify has never been an issue across my long career in this business. For me, the baseline for any company that I work in would be that everyone can come to work and be comfortable being themselves in both their role and around their colleagues. I don’t want anyone to have to feel the way I did in the early stages of my career at other companies when starting a new job. Waiting for “the question” to come up and keeping your fingers crossed you got a positive, or at least neutral, reaction or worrying about how much of the “real” me to let out. Thankfully things have moved on and I want that positive trajectory to continue.

myGwork: What's your favorite inclusion campaign to date and why?

Steven:  I don’t have a specific campaign, but as someone who has been around for a while, I am so happy and excited by the integration of LGBTQ+ characters in both TV shows and adverts. Growing up I never saw anyone like me on the TV, and if I did, they were not positive characters. I remember thinking “I’m not like that” and it was hard for me to understand who I was. I’m so happy that from soaps to adverts, we see positive queer characters leading their lives above and beyond their sexuality.

myGwork: How do you encourage staff to have a work-life balance, especially with the increase in remote/hybrid working?

I think having flexibility and trust is key, along with understanding that everyone has a different home situation. You should make it really easy for them to approach you and ask – they should never feel nervous about asking. Nine out of 10 people will also come with a solution/suggestion that can work if they need some flexibility. 

myGwork: What's the biggest highlight of your career to date and why?

Steven: For me, it is working on brands that I used to look at in my local newsagents when I was growing up, and also working on campaigns with these iconic brands that have actually made a difference to people’s lives. Somewhere today, someone will read one of our articles and make a change to what they do (big or small), and it will help to make their life better. That’s a great thing to do for a living.

myGwork: What was the last book you read? Any interesting take-aways and would you recommend it to fellow leaders? 

Steven: I’m a real history geek so I’m just reading The Glamour Boys by Chris Bryant – it’s brilliant. It’s the little-known story of a group of Queer MPs in the 1930’s who tried to warn the world about Hitler and the Nazis. Hearing about their lives and how they navigated the open prejudice around them is pretty inspiring. It is a really different twist on history and also really fascinating to know how Queer people navigated a very different society, and the pressures to still live happy lives and have relationships. 

myGwork: What was your last holiday destination and where do you plan to visit next?

Steven: I was in NY and Washington in winter, which was freezing but amazing, and am heading back to the US to New Orleans and Florida soon (so hopefully a bit warmer). I have a bit of a USA road trip theme going on right now.

myGwork: What do you do to unwind at the end of a hard day?

Steven: My secret vice is American reality TV. I love a “Housewives” – anything that involves switching my brain off and getting a glimpse of other people’s lives. You’ll find me cuddled up on the sofa with my dog and my partner shocked at these partly-scripted shows! 


You can find more about Steven and connect with him here.

 

Check out some of myGwork's other recent Meet & Greet interviews, including:

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