What are your memories of your time at Downe House?

Running up and down the cloisters to be first in line for tea is still one of my clearest memories. I loved the buzz of Saturday morning lacrosse matches, and how House Drama completely took over for the entire term. And nothing beats the nostalgia of making chocolate toasties (with chocolate powder!) in the Aisholt common room!

Tell us about your professional journey since leaving Downe House.

After leaving Downe House, I studied Politics at Newcastle University. I then spent three years working in digital advertising as an Account Manager for global brands including Amazon Fashion, Next and Purina.

After that, I secured a place on the Mountbatten Program, which took me to New York for a year to work as a Digital Marketing Specialist while completing a business qualification alongside my role.

When I returned to London, I joined LTK as an Influencer Director, where I spent three years running large‑scale influencer events and campaigns for fashion brands such as Topshop and Nike.

I was then headhunted from LTK to help launch TikTok Shop in the UK from scratch. I was responsible for building the marketplace from the ground up – from onboarding brands and creators to shaping the commercial strategy and operational processes. I’ve now been at TikTok for four years and am currently the Head of Brand & Partnerships.

Can you describe your current role and what a typical day looks like?

I’m currently the Head of Partnerships & Brand at TikTok Shop, and no two days are ever the same. A typical day looks something like this:

• 9:00 – Team check‑in
• 10:00 – Pitch call with a prospective publisher (e.g., BBC, Vogue) to explore partnership opportunities
• 11:00 – 12:00 – Calls with high‑value TikTok Shop agency partners to review revenue performance
• 12:00 – 13:00 – Lunch in our amazing TikTok HQ canteen in Farringdon — hot food, salad bar, dessert station, unlimited coffee and snacks
• 13:00 – 15:00 – Attend a TikTok Shop livestream: checking tech, stock levels, brand readiness, and creator support
• 15:00–17:00 – Internal meeting to review agency partner performance and priorities for the week
• 17:00 – Final email sweep
• 18:00 – Cycle home

It’s fast‑paced, collaborative, and incredibly energising.

What’s been the highlight of your career so far?

Living and working in New York for a year was a standout highlight. I genuinely believe everyone should work abroad at least once. You learn ten times more simply by having to adapt – to new cultures, new working styles, and new expectations. It forces you to evolve both professionally and personally.

What’s been the biggest professional challenge you’ve faced, and how did you overcome it?

Launching TikTok Shop from scratch has been the biggest challenge of my career. I was the seventh employee in the business – today we’re over 500. Half the team came from China, so we were building a business, a culture, and a cross‑continental way of working all at once.

There was no playbook. We had to create the team structure, processes, onboarding, and partnerships from zero. I hired team members, onboarded our first brands and creators, and helped bridge the gap between UK and Chinese working cultures. It required adaptability, humility, and a willingness to build while moving at full speed.

What skills and personal qualities help someone excel in your field?

• The ability to operate independently with minimal guidance
• Confidence to make brave, fast decisions
• Adaptability – roles and priorities shift quickly
• A willingness to “build the plane while flying it,” as we say at TikTok
• Leaving your ego at the door – collaboration matters more than hierarchy

What advice would you give to someone hoping to follow in your footsteps?

Get as much experience as you can early on – it doesn’t need to be perfectly relevant. Action creates momentum. By putting yourself out there, you meet people who open doors you didn’t even know existed. Intern, volunteer, message people, say yes.

What are your hopes and aspirations for the future?

I’d love to take my decade of experience in brand building, marketing, and the creator economy and apply it to an industry I’m deeply passionate about: women’s health. It’s an area with huge potential for impact, and I’m excited about the possibility of contributing to meaningful change there.