Overcoming imposter syndrome has been a challenge. I had changed careers and was new to the legal industry.
Jade Marie Smith isn’t alone in having to career pivot following the pandemic. She took an impressive track record in events management within financial services to Simmons + Simmons where she is now BD sector lead for technology, media and telecom. She talks about her journey and why, of the offers on the table, Simmons was the right choice.
Overcoming imposter syndrome has been a challenge. I had changed careers and was new to the legal industry.
Jade Marie Smith isn’t alone in having to career pivot following the pandemic. She took an impressive track record in events management within financial services to Simmons + Simmons where she is now BD sector lead for technology, media and telecom. She talks about her journey and why, of the offers on the table, Simmons was the right choice.
Jade Marie Smith, Business Development Manager and Sector Lead (TMT), Simmons + Simmons
jademarie.smith@simmons-simmons.com
Tell us a little about your career to date and how you came to your current role? I understand you started in events but had to ‘rebrand’ yourself when the pandemic hit?
My career began in the financial services sector, where I initially took on roles as a client service executive and event coordinator for more than five years. Just three months after returning from maternity leave the pandemic hit which, of course, was unsettling for us all. Not only was I a first-time working parent, but I’d also entered a new world in which the events industry suddenly shifted and working from home became the norm. Like many, I channelled my resilience, took stock and proactively expanded my skills to seek other opportunities.
I knew I wanted to do something related to my business management degree, and that the fields of marketing and business development were intriguing, as was the legal industry. Fast forward to 2022 and I had an offer from Simmons + Simmons to join their marketing and business development team. I was considering three others at the time, but Simmons stood out. I felt a strong connection with the team and believed this was where I could grow my career. It felt natural to be myself, and so I embraced the opportunity with enthusiasm.
The culture at Simmons is amazing. I've had the chance to work with some inspiring individuals who have significantly contributed to my learning and development. And, in this supportive environment, I’ve been promoted twice within the past two years, marking the biggest achievement in my career so far. Now, as a marketing and business development manager and TMT (technology, media and telecom) sector lead, I’m in a position that not only reflects my skills and ambition, but also demonstrates what can be achieved when in a supportive and enriching environment.
What have been the challenges you’ve faced?
Overcoming imposter syndrome has been a challenge. I had changed careers and was relatively new to the legal industry. I had a lot to learn and get to grips with, especially with unfamiliar concepts and expectations. I was eager to excel and make an impact, so I grabbed every opportunity provided through the firm’s stars academy. This included sessions on trending legal issues, commerciality, leadership and impact.
Mastering Pivot Tables during my downtime was a first for me and, to be honest, confusing at the beginning, but I’m now a whizz at analysing my practice’s global performance and top clients. I also set a personal goal to polish my presentation skills - a common area many of us want to improve. So, I signed up to the ‘presentation practice programme’, where I received tailored feedback from one of the partners. Despite their busy schedule, they took the time to offer me real time guidance and tips to help me succeed. Let’s just say, I’m ten times better at presenting than I was a few years ago.
This all ties back to advice from a manager when I first joined Simmons who said: “Take advantage of all the training and courses available because there’s always something new to learn.” She was spot on. Having this continuous learning mindset has taught me so much already – not just in technical expertise but in honing my soft skills too. And I’m paying that forward by sharing what I’ve learnt and providing encouragement and support to others in my team.
“Despite how good the tech might be, there’s still a lot it can’t do, and shouldn’t do. As AI gets more and more sophisticated impacting our professional and personal lives with advancements in voice recognition, smart devices, and virtual reality, I think the topic of ethics will become even more prominent.”
“Despite how good the tech might be, there’s still a lot it can’t do, and shouldn’t do. As AI gets more and more sophisticated impacting our professional and personal lives with advancements in voice recognition, smart devices, and virtual reality, I think the topic of ethics will become even more prominent.”
How has Simmons helped and encouraged you in your development?
I’ve said it before, but what I really love about Simmons is the culture - it's something special. The partners and my colleagues are brilliant to work with. There's this genuine want to recognise and reward anyone keen to develop and explore new skills. They're about putting resources and support in place to nurture talent and encourage innovative ways of thinking. Right now, I'm excited to be one of eight in the first cohort of our international marketing and business development-focused “Emerging leaders programme”. It's a great opportunity and really shows how much Simmons is willing to invest in us, helping us to grow not just as professionals but as leaders in our field.
You work across the technology, media and telecom sector – an area very much at the centre of our thoughts? What are the challenges and opportunities?
Being part of the TMT sector is exciting. It's impossible to ignore the advancements on the horizon, such as the growth of global connectivity and the digital demands of consumers and businesses alike. In response, the industry is innovating at an extraordinary rate, with significant developments ranging from the rise of generative AI to technological solutions to help reach net zero. It seems every day brings a new idea or development. It’s all over my LinkedIn newsfeed, so I guess one of the main challenges is just keeping up.
This means being able to spot emerging trends, bringing innovative ideas to team meetings, and developing a comprehensive understanding that can support pitches. It also involves identifying the evolving needs and challenges of our clients to then support my team in having engaging and topical conversations
And collaboration is key. TMT doesn’t operate in isolation, there’s huge crossover with other sectors. You only have to look at the realms of digital health, fintech and green tech to see the opportunities. Since starting my role as manager and sector lead, one of the key strategies has been to explore sector convergence and to evolve our brand position to resonate with an expanding client base.
I’ve really enjoyed looking at the messaging and creative aspects, but also leveraging my events background to create opportunities that foster closer relationships with our clients and industry peers. Organising both in-person and virtual events has been a keystone of this strategy. Whether it's a seminar on the latest regulatory changes, a workshop on emerging technologies, or a virtual roundtable discussing market dynamics, each campaign is carefully curated to add value to our clients.
AI - What excites you? And what, if anything, worries you?
AI is always a fun topic to talk about, especially from a marketing and business development perspective. I suppose what excites me is "what’s next" in the landscape. The potential for AI to revolutionise our approach to market analysis, customer engagement, and even product development is immense. It opens new avenues for strategic innovation, allowing us to offer more tailored solutions to our clients and stay ahead in a competitive market.
At Simmons, we have our very own Generative AI tool, ‘Percy’ and we’re encouraged to use this every day to improve our AI literacy and prompt engineering skills. I often ask it to summarise meeting notes, draft client emails and communications and, as of late, I’ve been prompting ‘Percy’ to generate data from day-to-day reports. It’s a fantastic tool and we all rave about it in the marketing and business development team. Based on a recent meeting we discovered 95% of us were using it in our roles.
I think the main thing to keep in mind is there still needs to be human intervention and quality control. Despite how good the tech might be, there’s still a lot it can’t do, and shouldn’t do. As AI gets more and more sophisticated impacting our professional and personal lives with advancements in voice recognition, smart devices, and virtual reality, I think the topic of ethics will become even more prominent.
With the new EU AI Act and other regulatory frameworks coming into place, there will be more positive developments and use cases, offering a blueprint for responsible AI use.