Fiona started her career in petfood marketing then moved into advertising, joining Leo Burnett. Before setting up MESH Experience in 2006, she was Planning Director at an Omnicom agency in London.
Fiona founded MESH to fill a gap in the market. While working on Mercedes-Benz she realized it was important to understand every interaction people have with brands – the whole customer experience - and believed these could be captured using a mobile phone. She feels it’s important for businesses to take an Experience Driven Marketing approach.
Fiona has enjoyed 10 years working with Professor Hugh Wilson and Professor Emma Macdonald (Warwick Business School). Work using MESH’s Real-time Experience Tracking approach was a finalist for the Innovate UK award and includes an article in Harvard Business Review.
In 2021, together with Brian Jacobs, Hilary Woods and David Beaton, Fiona founded Crater Lake & Co to help clients create a clear performance narrative with their measurement. In 2022, she founded Diversity Unlimited, a collective of award-winning diverse-owned insight consultancies to help corporates with a one-stop shop.
Fiona is a Fellow of the Market Research Society, sits on the editorial advisory board for ESOMAR’s Research World magazine, is a mentor for The Marketing Academy and is President for the Market Research Council in New York. As the CEO of a women-owned business, Fiona is passionate in supporting an inclusive agenda.
Interview Questions
Can you describe your current role?
I am the founder of MESH Experience, a marketing effectiveness consultancy, working with Fortune 500 companies, like LG Electronics, helping them with their marketing investment decisions. What makes us unique is that we capture the whole customer experience, everything from the TV ad to seeing a refrigerator in someone’s home. My role is President and Chief Experience Officer, so I lead the direction of the business.
How long have you been in your current role?
16 years. I started the business in London in 2006 and I moved to New York with my husband in 2013.
What do you like best about your job?
As the founder, I was able to set the vision “to help create experiences that grow brands, people and society”. And making steps forward here is what makes this so rewarding. Hearing that Fidelity International grew their revenue by +350% during the 4 years we have worked with them. Helping our team grow – two people set up offices in different countries, two met and married, our amazing Global Managing Director, Dana DiGregorio is a Marketing Academy Scholar and she is a finalist this year for the Quirks Fearless Leader award. In June we set up Diversity Unlimited, a collective of award-winning diverse-owned data and insight consultancies to help corporates with a one-stop shop.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
Believe in yourself. I have been so lucky to have met my husband at 19 at university and, even when I was shy, he encouraged me to have a voice. Your voice needs to be heard. I would advise you to clearly identify what you believe in, because if you do, you will speak authentically and with power. Don’t shy away from who you really are and what you have done. My degree is in English and Drama, and I don’t have an MBA. There are other brilliant people that I work with who have MBAs. I lean into my strength to direct people with different and amazing skills. I have clear reasons to want to support other diverse-owned businesses and to make a difference in the lives of those with mental health issues. It’s easy to say these things when you are older and when I was younger I tried to “power dress” and act the part. But when you align your personal values and embrace who you are, with what you do, you will be unstoppable!
What is the best advice you’ve received?
My sports teacher spoke to our class as we left school with one piece of advice which I thought nothing of at the time, particularly as the school was very academic, and we were all thinking about the excitement of going to university! “If there is one thing you do, make sure that you do some sport or exercise at least once a week.” These were simple but wise words.
Click HERE to see Member Spotlights Archive