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Lunch With Jennifer Byrne |
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Page 4 of 4
Her many duties these days include chairing the Sydney Writers’ Festival and mentoring a number of senior executives – she won’t say who they are, just that they’re pushing CEO level in big Australian companies. She says it’s rewarding work, in all senses, though the days of being mentored herself are long gone. Michael’s business card, after all, reads: Director of Support Services for Sandra Yates; she doesn’t need anyone else.
“We’ve talked about this. It’s almost like I’m the pro-duct and he’s the marketing manager. He calls me a cash cow and a nice little earner ... he’s the greatest cheerleader. I mean, he’d bore Australia if you ever asked him how clever I was, he’d just crap on for hours. It’s really nice to have that unconditional praise no matter how stupid you’ve been that day.”
Or depressed. Or furious. Or whatever she actually felt when she lost the ALP account, because Yates isn’t saying. Differing views, not at liberty to divulge, respect on both sides, blah blah blah, though she does describe working on an election campaign as “about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on”. Beyond that, she is uncharacteristically gnomic.
Does she think Saatchi did a good job for Labor? “Mmm [nod]. They’re hard to advise.” What about Kim Beazley’s small-target strategy? “The agency doesn’t get involved in those sorts of decisions.” But if you’ve got to sell, you need policies to sell off, don’t you? “Well, in my experience, it helps.” How does she feel about missing out on Mark Latham’s first campaign? “Oh, pissed off, personally. But it’s not a personal issue ... I remain very fond of Kim Beazley.” And the Labor machine? “The business has changed. Machine politics has become a career. It’s not a career to which I’d be attracted but I can understand there are people who’d like to think it was an interesting way to make a contribution.” She gives a slight snort and returns to her lamb chops and mash.
Sandra Yates is good and cheerful company but, then again, if a skilled marketer couldn’t sell herself, you’d worry. What’s particular about her is that while she understands the conflicts and crises facing working women – they’ve been there in her own life – her style is to step forward and take the choices rather than preach about them. She’s prospered in the corporate world without becoming a bloke. She makes success look achievable and feminism look fun again. And she’s not finished yet.
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