In celebration of International Women’s Day 2023, we spotlight the female leaders in our business who are focused on disrupting the premium ticketing industry.

In honour of International Women's Day 2023, we want to shine a spotlight on female leaders who are challenging industry perceptions and opening up opportunities for diversity in the tech and ticketing industries.

Specifically, we want to take this opportunity to celebrate the success of female leaders driving change and innovation here at Seat Unique.

These women, the Co-founder and Head of Product, the Head of Brand, and the Content Manager are redefining industry norms and providing powerful role models for other women in tech.

International Women’s Day (IWD) continues to stand as one of the most important days of the year to recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This global day of celebration is vital to raising awareness of women’s equality, calling for positive change, and accelerating gender parity.  

IWD's theme this year is 'DigitALL: Innovation Technology for Gender Equality', highlighting the need to close the gender gap in digital access and underrepresentation of women in STEM, and prevent any hindrance to full participation in tech design and governance.

UN Women and the United Nations are urging governments, activists, and the private sector to continue their efforts towards creating a safer, more inclusive, and equitable digital world.

At Seat Unique, we are committed to building an open and inclusive community not only for our customers but for our employees too. As a tech start-up, digital is at the forefront of everything we do. We wouldn’t be where we are today without talented women in our business.

So, let us introduce the inspirational and influential female leaders at Seat Unique who have been instrumental in driving the success of our premium ticketing tech start-up.

Phillipa Hicks, Co-founder and Head of Product at Seat Unique

Women in Product and SaaS: Phillipa’s role

As Co-founder and Head of Product at Seat Unique, Phillipa has undoubtedly played an instrumental role in shaping the direction of the company from the very beginning. She is responsible for overseeing the development of Seat Unique's ticketing platform, ensuring that it meets the needs of both customers and our partners.

Phillipa has a crucial role in managing and developing the product roadmap for Seat Unique's software. Her main responsibilities involve making sure that the product vision is followed during the delivery process. Additionally, she supervises all technical aspects of the business, including product development and strategy, and collaborates closely with a team of developers, designers, and product managers.

Browse careers at Seat Unique

Female in leadership roles: How Phillipa has built a high performing team

At Seat Unique, we had a clear vision to address the premium ticketing industry's key issues by building an innovative online marketplace.

We set out to create a platform whereby clubs, venues and rights holders can manage their premium ticket and hospitality inventory in one user-friendly interface, all of which can be accessed by fans anytime and anywhere.

With our brand-new idea for a marketplace, we wanted to reshape the outdated, lengthy booking systems and complicated buyer journeys that dominated the market. To ensure we were the first company to bring our product to market, we had to recruit a team of dedicated web developers and engineers to create the technology as quickly as possible.

Working with software agency Monterail to bring our product to life, Phillipa has been the driving force that has built the talented technical team that we have today. Her leadership style has been vital in driving Seat Unique's growth and success.

Commenting on this Phillipa says: “To influence colleagues and the wider business, I believe that it is important to lead by example, communicate effectively, build relationships, recognise great work, and collaborate towards shared goals. These positive actions and behaviours create a culture of excellence and success.”

Our product for buying and selling premium tickets and hospitality packages has had a positive impact on both fans and partners. Phillipa states: “With a team that shares a passion for digital transformation, we have built a safe and secure marketplace that provides fans with greater access to official tickets while helping partners sell more, attract new audiences, and grow their fan base. The brand's growth has been further elevated by partnerships with high-profile clubs and venues, including naming rights to stadiums. Achieving this together is something I am really proud of.”

Encouraging more women in tech roles

Phillipa believes that encouraging women to pursue entrepreneurship or senior leadership roles “requires a supportive work environment, training programs, and female role models/mentors.” She continues: “Companies should ensure gender diversity, provide career growth opportunities, and offer targeted training for women's leadership skills.”

DigitALL: Innovation Technology for Gender Equality means promoting gender equality in the technology sector and encouraging more women to pursue careers in tech. Reflecting on this, Phillipa says: “Although men still dominate the industry, we are seeing more and more women enter and excel in tech. Social norms that discourage women from pursuing careers in tech must be challenged. The goal is to open up tech to women and balance out the gender ratio in the industry. This is a positive step towards creating a more diverse and inclusive tech industry that benefits everyone.”

Victoria Oakley, Head of Brand at Seat Unique:

Women in Graphic Design within the tech industry: Victoria’s role

As Head of Brand, Victoria’s role proves to be a powerful force in redefining the premium ticketing industry. Audiences often associate the premium ticketing and hospitality industry with wealthy individuals and corporates. At Seat Unique, it is our mission to make premium event experiences accessible to all fans, regardless of their background.

Through Victoria’s strategic vision and creativity, she is breaking barriers and dispelling this misconception by crafting a brand identity for Seat Unique that is modern, fresh, and appealing to a broad range of customers.

Victoria’s original approach to design and excellent commercial trend awareness has been key to challenging industry norms. By prioritising inclusivity and diversity in the company's marketing campaigns, she ensures that all customers feel welcome and represented.

The impact of female leaders in graphic design

Since the inception of the business, Victoria has been monumentally influential in shaping Seat Unique’s brand identity. Not only are her striking designs being widely recognised by both customers and stakeholders, but as the company grows quickly she is driving a significant increase in brand awareness and loyalty among our target audience.

Discussing the importance of her role Victoria says, “As Head of Brand my role is to be the custodian of Seat Unique’s brand identity and to ensure that the brand is consistently represented and valued across the business.”

“I always try to build strong relationships with all departments within the business, educate my colleagues and lead by example by embodying the brand’s values and messaging both professionally and personally.”

When it comes to inspiring her female colleagues to pursue leadership roles, Victoria encourages them “To believe in themselves and their ideas. If they have a brilliant idea then don’t be afraid to run with it.”

Encouraging more women to explore tech roles

In order to motivate and inspire women to follow their own goals and aspirations, Victoria believes that “We need to promote workplace policies that enable women to thrive and grow within their roles. We need to give them a voice and the opportunity to grow and progress in their chosen careers.”

Victoria explains what IWD’s theme for 2023 means to her: “To me, this means using the power of technology and innovation to address the existing gender gap and to create a more inclusive society where women and other marginalized genders have equal access to opportunities, resources and support.”

Inclusivity is something that is important to us as a business and that transcends all departments. The tech sector is largely perceived to be a male-dominated industry. Here at Seat Unique, we are committed to providing opportunities for all, regardless of gender.

Gemma Parkes, Content Manager at Seat Unique

Women in SEO and organic marketing shaping the premium ticketing industry: Gemma’s role

Another female leader who is making waves in the premium ticketing industry is Content Manager, Gemma Parkes.

Through her work, she has elevated the company's SEO and content strategy, creating engaging and informative content that helps customers make informed decisions about their ticket purchases.

Since the start of Seat Unique, Gemma has played an integral role in driving brand visibility across search engines, increasing traffic to the website, and generating organic revenue and leads for the business.

She has also been a champion of diversity and inclusion, educating audiences that premium experiences are for everyone and ensuring that all voices are represented in Seat Unique's content.

Female leaders running successful teams: Gemma's leadership style

Gemma is responsible for developing and executing Seat Unique’s content marketing strategy, managing a team of content creators, and acting as a brand ambassador to establish the company’s tone of voice.

Through her leadership of the content marketing team, she is boosting Seat Unique's organic growth and brand visibility online. In order to run a successful content team Gemma states that “Open communication is imperative to encouraging team members to share their ideas and be as creative as possible.”
When it comes to inspiring her team she believes that empowering them “to see their full potential will help them achieve their goals. As a leader, it’s important to cultivate an environment of trust, respect and collaboration, to help your team unlock their creativity and drive innovation.”

Encouraging more women to seek marketing roles within tech

While the disparity between men and women in terms of opportunities to lead and innovate in tech start-ups still exists, the emphasis must be on closing that gender gap. At Seat Unique, we are taking steps to move towards a more equitable and inclusive tech landscape.

As a female leader in a tech start-up, Gemma reflects on the benefits of working in this type of organisation and how we can encourage more women to take up such positions: “One of the most rewarding aspects of working for a tech start-up is seeing the direct impact your work is having on the success of the business. The collaborative and supportive nature of Seat Unique means that across departments, we overcome challenges and celebrate our achievements together.”

“We can encourage more women to take up leadership roles by giving them the opportunity to learn from other women in these positions. Women can benefit from having female mentors and networking with other women in leadership positions in the tech industry. This is vital to helping build their confidence, learn from others, and create valuable connections.”

Although there is still a long way to go, we hope that our efforts inspire more women to pursue entrepreneurial roles in the tech industry. With more women leading innovation, the tech industry can benefit from a wider range of perspectives and ideas, leading to greater success.

How Female Leaders are Challenging Industry Norms:

These three female leaders at Seat Unique are challenging the norms of the premium ticketing industry in several ways. First, they prioritise diversity and inclusivity in their work, ensuring that all customers feel welcome and represented.

Secondly, they are driving innovation in the industry through their leadership and creativity.

Finally, they are providing powerful role models for other women in tech, demonstrating that it is possible to succeed and thrive in what is traditionally perceived as a male-dominated industry.

The Impact of Female Leadership within a Tech Start-up:

The impact of female leadership within tech start-ups cannot be overstated. These women bring a unique perspective and set of skills to the table, which allows them to drive innovation and create value in new and exciting ways.

By prioritising diversity and inclusivity, they are also helping to build a more equitable and just workplace for all employees.

If you are an aspiring leader in tech or ticketing, we encourage you to explore employment opportunities at Seat Unique.

We are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace, and we are always on the lookout for talented individuals to join our team. To see what vacancies are available, visit the Seat Unique careers page or send your CV to [email protected].