Interview with John Booth

John is Head of Communications at the Scottish Government. He leads a team of communications and marketing specialists who are responsible for engaging with the public, stakeholders, media and staff in order to raise awareness, shift attitudes and change behaviours. He has worked in a number of roles in the Scottish Government, prior to which he was a journalist on local and regional newspapers. We spoke to him ahead of his appearance at our Inspiring Women event in Edinburgh on 21 June.

Can you describe your role within The Scottish Government?

I’m Head of Communications, which means I get to work in a fast-paced, challenging and rewarding environment and have the privilege of working alongside a hugely-talented (and gender-balanced) group of comms professionals.  

The Scottish Government are calling for more diversity in the boardroom and in senior leadership roles with the 50/50 by 2020 campaign. Playing devil’s advocate, why is it so important to have gender balance?

Fundamentally it’s about fairness, equality and tackling the historic under-representation of women in leadership roles. But it’s also about recognising that greater diversity in leadership positions leads to improved decision-making and better outcomes.

How do you think companies are reacting to the campaign?

The response has been fantastic. Around 200 organisations have now made the pledge and the Marketing Society Scotland’s ‘Inspiring Women’ initiative is making an important contribution on behalf of the industry.  

What might a more gender balanced future look like?

Balanced! A future where we no longer have to highlight and debate these issues and no longer need to take action to address them is what we should all be striving for.

What actions can we take in order to get solutions?

There are hundreds of potential answers to that question. I think the important thing is to recognise that, whatever our job/role, we all have the power to take one or two actions that can make a difference. And we must all challenge discrimination and inequality whenever and wherever we see it.

Why is it important for everyone to be pro-active in striving for gender equality? 

What kind of Scotland do we want to live and work in? One that’s unfair, unequal and which doesn’t give each and every one of us the opportunity to flourish and to contribute to the best of our abilities? Of course not! Hopefully it’s a no-brainer.  

There are still tickets available for the Inspiring Women event. Please contact Hayley to book.