Interview with Natalie Thomas, Royal Mail

Natalie Thomas is Marketing and Digital Director at Royal Mail, where she has spent over 10 years driving engagement and growth via digital channels and marketing. Previous roles at Royal Mail include Innovation and Marketing Director, Head of Digital Innovation and Head of Customer Experience.

As an expert in delivering world class digital customer experiences and developing customer led propositions, Natalie is an experienced leader of transformational change, particularly in FTSE 100 organisations.

We caught up with Natalie ahead of her appearance at Inspiring Minds on June 22.

What is the biggest lesson you have learned throughout this last year? 

I have learned that it is even more important to allocate some time for thinking, something I took for granted before as I could think on the go.  Jumping from call to call has made that quite challenging, so  I have started building in a ‘fake commute’ to my day whenever I can (courtesy of Sophie Devonshire!).

How can companies maintain strong relationships with consumers as the move for brands to be almost completely online continues? 

I think it’s critical to retain the personal touch and not forget the power of local.  Fortunately with all the different social media platforms out there, it’s easier than ever to communicate and engage in the moment.

What do you believe brands can do to help improve digital literacy, to ensure certain areas of the consumer market is not missing out? 

We have a huge responsibility that ranges from the starting point of helping more groups that have a higher likelihood of being digitally excluded to get online, all the way to making sure that we truly understand their needs and make things as simple as possible to understand and interact with.  Trying to absorb the sheer volume of information online and what to trust and not can be overwhelming.  Brands have a responsibility to act with complete integrity and clarity.

How do you inspire/motivate your team to do great work? 

There is such a great team of passionate, knowledgeable individuals in my team.  Helping them have the autonomy that they need to use all that greatness, and encouraging them to lean on each other for support and ideas has helped us deliver exceptional outcomes.  I’m so fortunate to be working with this superb group of individuals.

Who or what is your biggest daily inspiration? 

I am fortunate to have worked with and be introduced to some truly spectacular women over the years, many of whom have written books while building brands and juggling family life.  They inspire me every day to try and be the best version of myself that I can be, while also trying to be kind to myself and realise that some days achieving everything you want is going to be harder than others, but that’s OK.