IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Madelene Amouroux

Madelene Amouroux

Marketing & Communication Manager,
Eco Logical Australia

1. What does corporate communications entail at your organisation?

We are responsible for supporting the company's vision and strategic plan. Essentially, this involves internal and external orientated actions focused on our brand, reputation, sales cycle, and employee satisfaction. Achieving and realising these actions requires collaboration with a wide variety of stakeholders and coordination across teams. The balance of focus between strategic and operational tasks shifts, depending on the project and priorities.

We dedicate a considerable amount of time to employee engagement, aiming to maintain high levels of satisfaction as the industry we operate in faces fierce competition in attracting and retaining talent.

2. What aspect of corporate communications do you most enjoy, and why?

Undoubtedly, the diversity of projects, professions, and people the role interacts with. I love how a career in corporate communications gives access and insight into different types of industries, business models, products, services, and cultures; I am continuously intrigued by and learning from the many inspiring professionals I am fortunate to meet.
 
Over the years, I have been a member of global communications teams. Among the most professionally rewarding experiences of my career are those stemming from challenging assignments, including organisational restructuring, leadership transitions, and crisis management; all with specific multi-lingual, cultural, and legal complexities. It's gratifying to collaborate with stakeholders in devising plans and actions, seeing them through to fruition, and meeting business objectives. No day is the same for corporate communications!

 
3. What do you anticipate will be your greatest corporate communication challenge in 2024?

The objectives and plans for this year are numerous and ambitious, as always. The challenge will be in successfully delivering them while upholding our ‘business as usual’ actions. Notably, we have a new website in the pipeline and will introduce an additional suite of services to the market. I am also prepared to expect the unexpected, as it’s not unusual for projects to arise throughout the year.

4. If you could add one additional role to your team, what would it be, and why?

A specialist in digital platforms, dedicated to analysing data to extract communication metrics and insights. Being able to have this level of information readily available and the expertise of a specialist who can guide us on applying the knowledge would be a valuable contribution to shaping strategies, improving our ability to evaluate the effectiveness of our initiatives, and enabling us to make more informed data-driven decisions.

5. What one piece of advice would you give to communications professionals who are starting out in their career?

Just one piece, a tough ask! My advice is to remember to take a step back, place yourself in the shoes of your audience, and remind yourself why you are communicating with them; what is it that they truly want or need to know?

I realise that this advice may seem rather obvious, however, I have found that it can often overlooked in the hustle of everyday activities or even when tackling some of the more complex projects I mentioned earlier. Coming back to this helps to (re)align and ensure that your focus is correct. I find applying the ‘Know, Feel, Do’ filter is a great technique for considering the audience. I start with the ‘Do’ and work my way back to the ‘Know’ by asking these questions; ‘What is it that I want my audience to ‘Do’? What do they need to ‘Feel’ to ‘Do’? What is it that they need to ‘Know’ to ‘Feel’?