When we learned STARK MATTHEWS’ new PR co-ordinator Hannah Broughton was not only the great granddaughter of the inventor of Quality Streets but is also related to Made In Chelsea’s Millie Mackintosh, we just had to hunt her down for a short Q&A.
Here, we chat to Broughton about her career path, intriguing family history, and where she sees herself in five years time...
Can you tell me a bit about your career background?
Growing up with a beauty and skincare obsession was what led me to pursue a career in the beauty PR industry. Whilst I studied a Bachelor of Humanities (majoring in Creative Advertising and Graphic Design), I always knew I was a people person who wanted to work in an industry that allowed me to engage and interact with beauty brands and industry professionals. Having my digital background is an added bonus to the position, as I am able to utilise my skill set across the business.
What appealed to you about the role at STARK MATTHEWS?
Knowing that [co-founders] Anna [Stark] and Tahira [Matthews] have been working in the industry for many years was certainly a draw card for me as I knew they would be fantastic mentors with an abundance of knowledge and great industry connections. What appealed to me the most about my position at STARK MATTHEWS was having the opportunity to work with a like-minded team on developing and maintaining relationships with a wide scope of clients and across several media platforms.
You've been living in Perth. What was behind your decision to switch ships to Sydney?
I've lived all around the world, so packing up my life for a new adventure wasn't actually so daunting. I chose to move to Sydney as I knew the direction I wanted my career to go in would be more attainable if I moved over east. Sydney was an easy pick as it has so much to offer in terms of lifestyle and work opportunities.
You have quite an interesting family history. Can you tell me about this?
Funnily enough, this story was brought to life in the office as we were discussing middle names (mine is Elspeth), which led to my Scottish heritage. I had mentioned to Anna and Tahira that every Christmas we would have Quality Streets and I never understood why, until I asked my mum who explained the family tradition. My great grandfather and his brothers took over the family toffee business from their father. In the time they owned the company, they invented Quality Streets, Kit Kats and Rolo's before having to sell the business to Nestle due to a number of factory fires, which financially they weren't able to recover from.
So… have you ever met Millie Mackintosh?!
I actually didn't know she was a distant relative of mine until Tahira did a bit of research and realised her great grandparents were also the inventors of Quality Streets. There were three brothers who were in partnership and I guess it never crossed my mind to look into those other family ties! So no, I haven't met her.
Now that our inner curiosity is satisfied, back to the work questions! What are you most excited about in regards to your new role?
I'm most excited about working across the board on projects with all of our clients this year. Every day is different in the office, which makes coming to work something to look forward to.
Where will we see Hannah Broughton in five years time?
I see myself staying within the beauty industry. Ideally I'll be in a senior position with more responsibilities and opportunities to engage with clients and industry professionals. I'm excited to see how my career progresses over the next five years!
