Our latest leadership spotlight features Sophie Brisbourne-Rhodes!
Sophie Brisbourne-Rhodes is an experienced digital marketing leader who has worked with several orgsniations across a range of sectors which include FMCG companies, industry-leading agencies; as well as startups in the UK and Australia. She currently leads all marketing activity at CleanCo as their Global Chief Marketing Officer. Some of the companies Sophie has worked with include L'Oréal, Nexba Pty Ltd, and Different Dog.
In our Q&A with Sophie, she discusses her “rollercoaster” career to date, her current role at CleanCo, why being a mum has made her a better CMO, and the challenge of Balancing “brand” and “performance” marketing.
Read our Q&A with Sophie below!
Why did you join the Digital Leaders Club?
To connect with others in the space and hopefully find organic partnerships.
What's your career journey been like to date?
A rollercoaster! I started on the corporate side with L'Oréal, in PR & Comms. Largely working on The Body Shop as it rediscovered its activist credentials and brand purpose. Before jumping to the other end of the spectrum and working hands-on with founders and startups in the high-growth technology space. Lots of advocacy for start-up funding and rights at high levels of government.
I then worked specifically with the brands themselves, helping to launch the first Neo-bank in Australia and several future-of-food brands now worth billions. I then moved back in-house with one of my agency clients, helping to build the Kombucha & Nootropics category in the beverage space. A short stint in premium D2C dog food then led me to my current role as CMO at CleanCo, the world’s leading independent alcohol-free spirit brand.
Tell us about your current position
I’m the Global CMO at CleanCo; the world’s leading independent alcohol-free spirit brand. We’re on a mission to say goodbye to the classic “mocktail” and give consumers the sophisticated Clean Cocktails they deserve. Alcohol-free alternatives to the spirits you know and love, that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their full-strength equivalents.
What do you love about working in digital?
Everything moves so quickly. Something great can fly in a matter of hours. Something not so great can be old news in a matter of hours. It allows you to experiment a bit more freely.
What are the common challenges you see in digital leadership?
Balancing “brand” and “performance” marketing, especially in scaling companies when the bottom line is so critical to keeping the lights on. I’m a big believer that one supports the other and they struggle to exist in silos. Convincing those around you of that is often a challenge.
Have you had any challenges in your career to date; and how did you overcome them?
Being a “career woman” and having kids is not easy. Especially when working for startup/scaling brands where it’s all hands on deck and taking time out to have children isn’t always welcomed. But being a mother makes me a better CMO. I can prioritise better. Multi-task better and see the bigger picture. It also forces you to have more trust in your team and lead more effectively, allowing others to grow whilst you take a temporary step back.
Which trend do you predict will dominate 2025?
Experiential is here to stay. But I predict we’ll see less big flashy activations, and more intimate community-led ones e.g. branded book clubs, and supper clubs. Small, intimate, and exclusive. But with content shared far and wide. Small offline, pushed big online.
How would your colleagues describe you?
A perfectionist. A little bit crazy. Someone who can laugh through the highs and the lows.
What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
I have 3 kids - 3 and under!! I think that says it all… often you’ll find us all on our allotment or baking cakes.
What's your plan for the future?
To keep growing and learning. I’d love for my passion for the future of food and regenerative agriculture to become part of my work somehow.
What would you be doing (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?
Some form of criminology or sociology - I’m obsessed with learning why people do things and what drives behaviours.
Connect with Sophie on LinkedIn.
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