Catharine Fennell: Working for women

The Holly Hobbie house in the basement of Catharine Fennell’s childhood home was much more than a cardboard playhouse with a “No Boys Allowed” sign on the door. It was the centre of youthful female culture in her Moore Park, Toronto neighbourhood. But when her brother’s best friend ripped a hole in it, anarchy ensued. “In retaliation, the girls’ club mobilized immediately and ousted him from the basement,” remembers Catharine.

Today, as managing partner of Swing Think Inc. (www.swingthink.com), Catharine is still immersed in issues pertaining to women. Launched in 2005 with two other partners, Swing helps companies improve their understanding of the female buyer mindset; shape their marketing and communications strategies to make an impact with women; design, develop, and package products and services with maximum female appeal; reach women online; and mobilize them in communities. According to Catharine, it’s a “marketing with women” company.

Catharine grew up in a bustling family with an older brother and younger sister. “I got started in business early. I had two paper routes from the age of eight, and I once made my sister sign a contract before using my Crayola caddie,” she says.

Her professional career began at Continental Cosmetics while she was still attending Ryerson. Upon graduation (Bachelor of Commerce, 1994) she became their director of marketing. Then she went to Brandworks Communications as an account executive, and later to Quadravision, where she was involved in developing the first generation of retail online banking. After being acquired by Bowne, Catharine was promoted to VP of marketing for Bowne Internet Solutions in New York. She then joined Mediconsult as head of marketing, and was responsible for building some of the world’s largest online patient communities and web-based physician platforms.

But by 2001, Catharine was thinking about having a family. Realizing this would have an impact on her career, she started her own consulting company. She got married and had two kids, Sienna (now aged seven), and Chloe (aged five). “The corporate world isn’t set up for women to be successful. Women are still the primary caregivers, and as a senior person in the corporate workplace it remains difficult to succeed without major sacrifice to the family. ”

For many women, this means a change in their career path, which was true in my case.” So in 2001, Catharine launched www.marketyourselfsmarter.com (which she continues to own, grow, and manage), an online media and learning platform that, among other things, supports employees in achieving success in their careers.

Right now, Catharine is most enthusiastic about producing and working on the Define Yourself campaign (www.Defineyourself.ca), a non-branded online community bringing women together in conversation about aging. The campaign, sponsored by Medicis Aesthetics Canada, attracts women of all aging mindsets. “Women are really opening up and baring their secrets ... It’s a complex topic with a lot of angst around it, so there’s much to say and share,” Catherine says.

Beyond her career, Catharine has served as a chair with the United Way of Greater Toronto’s Allocations committee for seven years, and also finds time to paint, identifying with the work of Piet Mondrian, Mark Rothko, and George Rodrigue.

Catharine will undoubtedly continue being an advocate for women, effecting changes that will impact the world of work so that women can have successful home and work lives in leadership positions — without putting their families in peril. “It’s hard to be yourself in a world trying to make you something else,” Catharine says. “I want to set women up for success.” Maybe even if some boys are allowed.

Hugh Reilly is the founder of Thatradio.com, where you can listen to his Liquid Lunch radio show every weekday from noon-2pm.