My Career: CEO of Azure Communications Jenny Johnston

Did you always want to be a CEO?
When I was very young, I dreamt of being a TV presenter and I actually started out working in media and producing content, all behind the scenes. But then I realised I enjoyed the creative process more and managing projects, so I decided to move into marketing. Over the following years, I discovered a passion for leadership and management which has led me to where I am now.

In college, I studied… audio visual communications followed by an executive master’s in marketing and a postgrad diploma in digital marketing. I adored my years at college, which were so much fun and I did a stint abroad on Erasmus too. I made friends for life, as well as meeting my husband, a fellow ‘AV-er’.

My most formative work experience was… working in a Homevalue Hardware store, part-time on the shop flow for approximately eight years through school and college. I learned so many life skills about DIY and product applications, which have served me well, but I also learnt so much about customer service, sales, margins and much more, it was a fantastic learning environment.

My first real job was… I juggled working as a customer service exec in a print production company with working weekends as a freelancer in RTÉ. It was at this point that I decided to pivot to work in marketing and I commenced an executive master’s in marketing (part-time).

The most invaluable thing I learned early on in my career was… mind the money, cash flow is king. Whether I worked for a large organisation or myself, this lesson was invaluable. In my opinion, getting this right and having a strong handle on your cash flow is absolutely crucial to the success of a business.

A common misconception about what I do is… that I make all the decisions. I like to help shape the decisions, but my team make most of the decisions and each person has responsibility for their own areas. I like to empower everyone in the organisation to be the best they can be and make the best decision with the information they have available. If they need help, they can always ask for it, but I like to guide and counsel, rather than make all of the decisions.

My main responsibility in work is to… motivate my team to perform to the best of their ability and ensure we are consistently meeting and exceeding our client expectations.

Do you have a career mentor or someone you look up to/seek advice from?
Yes, I’m lucky that I have many mentors and trusted friends and advisors that I can turn to for advice. The three founders of Azure Communications are a great sounding board for me. They started the business and grew it for 10 years before I joined, so they have seen many ups and downs and are a huge source of knowledge and support to me. I also look to previous managers, colleagues and friends who inspire me, and in particular, I love talking to other women in business. I’m participating in the brilliant Going for Growth program this year, which is a fantastic program where I have met so many amazing women in business or my ‘board I can’t afford’ as I like to call them.

The biggest risk I have taken in my career so far is… leaving the corporate world to become CEO of Azure Communications, an SME in the marketing, print and digital space, predominantly serving other businesses. Many people thought this was risky as I had previously worked for some bigger, well-known brands. However, for me, it was the perfect next step and I’m delighted to be at the helm to grow the business which has a wonderful and loyal client base and so many opportunities ahead.

I wake at… 7am if my children don’t wake me earlier.

The first thing I do every morning is… check my phone.

My morning routine is… I get ready and then have breakfast at home with my two boys (Billy aged six and Arthur aged four), before leaving for the office at 8.30am.

I can’t go to work without… my notebook. It comes everywhere with me, at work and at home. I like to write things down, pen to paper. So, I cannot leave it behind or I’ll have lost all my best ideas!

I travel to work by… car.

On an average workday I… work in the office at our HQ in Damastown, Dublin 15. My days are very varied, I could be in the office catching up on paperwork or admin, meeting new clients, pitching for business or a myriad of other things.

I start my working day at… 9am.

The first thing I do at work is… check daily sales numbers, previous day enquiries and check in with the team on anything urgent.

I usually spend the first portion of the day… checking in with clients and working on client briefs.

I break for lunch at… 12-1pm or whenever I get hungry. I usually have a salad or some form of readymade protein meal, I’m trying to get more protein into my diet as instructed by my trainer earlier this year.

The most useful business tool I use every day is… Microsoft Teams. I do a lot of client meetings and team calls via Microsoft Teams. It helps us work together even when some of the team work remotely and keeps us connected. Saying goodbye to long commutes for some team members has been a game changer for them.

I save time by… delegating. The team at Azure is fantastic and I trust them to do a great job.

I rarely get through my working day without… four cups of tea. For me, tea is the greatest comfort.

The best part of my day is… receiving positive client feedback and seeing their businesses succeed. When they grow, we grow too.

The most challenging part of my day is… managing competing priorities and deadlines. It can be challenging but it is helped by our internal daily production meeting. This helps ensure we’re all internally aligned on what the key priorities are and who’s doing what.

I know it’s been a good day if… I leave with a smile. Winning new business or being asked to pitch for an account is something that will never get old.

I usually end my day at… 5.30pm. I drive home, collect my kids, and start the evening schedule of homework/dinner/ bedtime for the kids.

I switch off from work by… having a hot bath, reading a book or listening to a podcast.

Before I go to bed, I’ll… read or browse online. I also write “to-do” notes in my notebook to fully switch off and get the ideas down on paper.

I often prepare for tomorrow by… getting organised with clothes, lunches etc. I like to start each morning off as stress-free as possible, so I feel by having things prepared the night before, my day gets off to a better start.

After a long work week, I destress by… spending time with family and friends. I like to get outdoors too, and with the brighter evenings and some sunshine ahead (fingers crossed), I look forward to spending some time in my garden with a good book and a glass of wine in hand.

The accomplishment I’m most proud of is… it’s hard to choose just one! I am so proud of lots of work I’ve been involved with; from launching Danish brand JYSK in Ireland to huge success, the Lennon Courtney and Kilkenny Design campaign launch, recent pitch wins for new clients and so much more. It is great to take stock of the achievements and celebrate all these wins.

If you want to get into my line of work, my advice is to… treat everything as a learning experience. All of my career experience, from making TV and radio ads to producing content, managing commercial teams and more, have all helped form a rounded experience. It has all been incredibly useful to me in different ways. I like to think of my previous roles as stepping stones to help me get to where I am now. And of course, try to work doing something you love, which makes it all so much easier.

I’ve just finished working on… a large-scale project for a government department encompassing print and comms. At the moment I’m working on a new client pitch for a brand strategy and employer brand campaign.