Sophie Poduval-Morrell
Sophie Poduval-Morrell, Future Faces Manager at Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, leads young professionals, from finance and legal to creative arts and hospitality.
Future Faces is region’s largest network for young professionals. Sophie fosters innovation and diversity, actively shaping Birmingham’s dynamic professional landscape for a vibrant future.
- Tell us a little bit about your business… / or the organisation you work for.
Future Faces is the largest young professionals’ network in the region. We work with a variety of industries, from Legal and Finance to Technology and Hospitality. We run two events per month, ranging from professional and personal development events to social networking and well-being events. Future Faces has an excellent mentoring scheme, a podcast and we are the organisers of the Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year awards, known as the Greater BYPY.
- How did you get into the industry?
I have a degree in Events Management and bringing people together is a passion of mine, whether that is an awards celebration for 500 young professionals across our region, a workshop on helping young professionals overcome imposter syndrome, or cooking Mexican food for friends and family. I love being surround by people, creating joy and bringing the best out of others.
After graduating from University College Birmingham, I worked for an events agency in Bromsgrove called Blackberry Productions, now Blackberry Events. I started out knowing very little about how to actually organise conferences and events. I would often get asked to count hundreds of lanyards, stuff thousands of paper delegate packs and clean out the storage cupboard. However, I worked hard and soon became the Events Manager and later, the Project Manager for the Department for Education’s on campus ‘Get into Teaching’ campaign. I organised and ran over 50 events a year across the country.
After six and a half years, I felt it was time for a new challenge. I went on to manage the sales for the corporate and private events at Michelin Star boutique hotel, Hampton Manor, in Solihull, where I got to work with brands like Spotify, Aston Martin, Rolex and many more.
The role for Future Faces was presented to me and I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to help inspire the young professionals in our region, running fantastic events and so much more.
- What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in your industry?
The opportunities are endless. I get to work with businesses across the region from Gymshark to Mills & Reeves, Deutsche Bank, Midland Air Ambulance and Aston University, to name a few. I get to work with the future leaders of our city, with their limitless creativity, opportunities for collaboration and the chance to build a network that supports each other and build each other up. I want to create a diverse network with young professionals from all walks of life; it doesn’t matter what industry you work in, or if you are a parent or carer, or living with a disability. Every young professional should have the chance to build a network and be part of a community, the opportunity to learn, develop and grow in a personal and professional capacity. Networking isn’t just for young professionals from the professional services industry who are single and can easily grab a drink in the local bar after work. It’s about connecting people, opening doors, breaking down barriers and making friends! As a millennial, I’ve always known networking to be something you do with a drink in your hand and I’m learning very quickly that Gen Z aren’t interested in small talk or superficial conversation but actually going deeper, being authentic and valuing diversity.
- How would you describe your leadership style? (if not in a leadership role talk about your working style)
I would say my leadership style is a combination of strategic thinking, joyful demeanour and I have a desire for building a fun, creative and enjoyable atmosphere.
Being strategic, I often like thinking about the long-term plan. I tend to go straight for the end goal, thinking about how do we get there, how quickly can we make it happen, what do we need in order to get it done?
My joyful demeanour means I tend to bring positivity to the workplace, which can boost morale and create a conducive environment for productivity and creativity. I would like to think my team members find me approachable and uplifting.
Overall, my leadership style seems to prioritise strategic planning while fostering a positive and enjoyable work environment through my joyful, friendly, and communicative approach. Which is great considering a big part of my role is building relationships and hosting events!
- How do you get the most out of the people who work for you? (or work with you)
Creating a fun, open and enjoyable environment. We all have ideas to bring to the table – I never assume my idea is the best. We don’t know what we don’t know – listening to others and creating a safe space for people to bring themselves and their skills to the table is so important. It’s how we grow, become more diverse and progress.
- What are the most crucial elements to your business running smoothly and being successful?
It’s all about people. Our aim is to provide young professionals in the region with a network where they can flourish, build a community, grow in confidence and use the network as a springboard for the career they want. Providing those young professionals with inspiring speakers is crucial, which is why we are so lucky to have the largest pool to ‘fish from’ when it comes to inspiring speakers. Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce is full of dynamic, supportive and inspirational business leaders, who are all keen to support the young professionals’ arm of the Chamber.
- How has the past 12 months been for you?
A whirlwind! I’ve had an absolute blast. Having been in the role since September 2022, the last 12 months have been all about getting to know the Future Faces members themselves, working closely with the organisations and businesses who sponsor some of those memberships and building relationships with some of the key hospitality venues, senior business leaders and decision makers. Future Faces is the network to be in right now – we want to make sure that no young professional is missing out.
- What will the next 12 months look like for you or your business?
Celebrating young professionals and supporting them in their personal and professional development. We are excited to be launching the second Greater BYPY Awards, which will take place on 18 October at the ICC. It’s our flagship event where we get to celebrate the inspiring talent across the region and crown one young professional as Greater Birmingham’s Young Professional of the Year!
- What are the highlights of your career so far?
The big one for me is launching the Greater BYPY awards in 2023. Seeing the impact these awards have on young professionals across the city is incredible. Watching their confidence build, seeing them go onto have promotions and invitations to contribute to all sorts of incredible initiatives and changes across the region. Launching the Future Faces mentoring scheme has also been incredibly fulfilling; the impact on both the mentor and mentee has been inspiring. Any senior leader across the region can be a mentor to our Future Faces mentees.
- What’s the biggest professional / business mistake that you’ve learnt from?
Allowing others to clip my wings. There was a season in my career where I was led to believe that I was not important enough and I let it steal my joy. My opinions became smaller and I changed the way I presented myself. I also started to question my abilities. When I started my role as Future Faces Manager, it took me some time to get over the feelings of being an imposter and although I occasionally still struggle with this now, I have been given the tools to deal with it. I’ve got an incredible manager and a supportive team around me and I get to work with some incredibly motivational senior leaders, experts and coaches through the Chamber, who all see my worth and cheer me on. Rebecca Mander from GuruYou is one of those people and I had the honour of talking to Rebecca on the Future Faces podcast recently regarding Imposter Phenomenon. It’s worth a listen if this is something you struggle with.
- What’s the best piece of professional / business advice you’ve been given or would like to give?
Be your authentic self. Don’t let anyone take your ideas, steal your thunder, or make you feel that you’re not good enough. In the last 12 months, I’ve been emersed in an incredible network of supportive and forward-thinking businesses across our region. Don’t stay working in an organisation that doesn’t see you for who you are. You’re worth more than that. Life is for living and enjoying and we are most happy when we are achieving and thriving, doing what we are best at. Don’t waste time doing something you don’t enjoy with people who don’t appreciate you.
