International Women’s Day: Natalie Interview

It’s International Women’s Day, a time to celebrate 'the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women'. It’s a call worldwide for gender equality for men and women across the globe.

It’s International Women’s Day, a time to celebrate 'the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women'. It’s a call worldwide for gender equality for men and women across the globe.

In support of this ever-important message, we sat down with Natalie Rodgers, the Managing Director of Scala, Chartered Marketer, non-practising solicitor, and Member of the Chartered Institute of PR. This article serves as an introduction to Natalie and to gain a better understanding of female leadership, women in the legal sector, and the challenges she’s faced as a woman in this space.

Who is Natalie Rodgers?

I’m the Managing Director of Scala, and we specialise in marketing and PR for the legal, healthcare and professional services sectors. Formed in 2009, we work predominantly in the field of personal injury and clinical negligence law.

As a former solicitor, what inspired you to move from practising law to marketing and PR?

I have a law and business degree, and I’ve always had a natural inclination towards marketing and business generally, rather than the nitty-gritty of drafting legal documents. I was a litigator, and I originally  trained with a small high-street firm in Chesterfield which meant I was very hands on, even seeing a client to take instructions on my first day as a trainee – something that would probably not happen these days!

Shortly before qualifying as a solicitor, I moved to global law firm, DLA Piper in Sheffield where I worked in the insurance department, doing personal injury work. I enjoyed the work initially, but it was quite a turbulent time within the insurance sector, plus I’d had my first child and at that time there wasn’t much embracing of flexible working. I had only a few short months maternity leave (after quite a traumatic delivery) and there was a definite pressure to return to work for the sake of my career.

It was in 2004 that I saw a barristers’ chambers was looking to recruit a solicitor to take on a marketing function. At the time, such a role was unheard of, but I had quite a few colleagues come to me and say, ‘They might as well just write your name on this advert, Natalie, because this is absolutely up your street!’

I was unsure at first, as it meant moving away from being a solicitor, a job that I’d studied and worked hard for. It felt like a monumental decision, and on reflection I think I was quite brave in taking the step away from practising as a solicitor. But that’s what I did; and in 2004 I joined Park Lane Chambers in Leeds, a chambers that I already knew very well as I had instructed them for several years.

I became the first marketing director for a barrister’s chambers in the UK. At that time it was a pioneering concept, for barristers to market themselves. I very much had to define my role, and I certainly had to invent the strategies and approach to  take. Chambers knew what they wanted but wasn’t sure what the actual day-to-day job would look like. I loved it. I loved working with barristers, and I still do to this day. In 2007 Park Lane Chambers merged with Plowden Chambers to form Parklane Plowden Chambers and I played an integral part of that process. At that time, it was unusual to see two Chambers merging. It was also when I first started to work closely with my good friend Michael Stubbs, who sadly passed away this year.

In what you might consider another epiphany of a moment, in early 2009, I left Chambers to set up Scala.

How would you define your leadership style?

I like to think I’m very inclusive and nurturing. I’m good with people, so for me, it’s about developing others in the business as the team has grown. I am trying to pass on some of my legal sector knowledge and experience as well, having done it for so long.

What would you say is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your role as a female leader?

Managing the more recent rapid growth of Scala has been one of the biggest challenges in my career to date. For so long, I was on my own as an independent consultant, working predominantly in-house at law firms and barristers’ chambers. As I got busier, I knew I needed to take someone on, but what I do is quite unique and it was difficult to find the right person. I was introduced to Carly Cotton by a mutual friend. We hit it off instantly and I knew she was the right person to train up and work alongside.

Carly joined in 2016 and became a Director of the business in 2023. Despite having no sector experience at all, I instinctively knew she had the personality and skills to enable her to excel in the role, and that’s proved to be right. She's amazing and I couldn't do the job without her. Since then, we have grown to six members of staff, with more hires on the horizon.

How has the industry changed over the years?

When I first started my career in the late 90s and early 2000s, there were not many senior females in the organisations I worked in. Indeed, for the bulk of my career I have never had any strong female leaders to look up to or emulate; it’s just something that’s never happened for me. Latterly however this has changed and I’m lucky enough to work alongside some amazing female leaders in both the legal and healthcare sectors.

I think the fact that I’ve never had a female mentor at all throughout my career, means this is really important for me now. At Scala both Carly and Ann-Marie Lowe (our Account Manager) hold senior positions, and I enjoy supporting them in any way I can. 

What advice would you give to your younger self?

The landscape of the legal, health, and professional services sectors has changed dramatically since the beginning of my career. They have become far more accessible spaces for women, with more female leaders operating across them, inspiring others. Even though this isn’t what I experienced, I’d reassure my younger self that the work you’re doing and will go on to achieve is helping transform the market.

Being the first marketing director, let alone the first female one, for a barristers' chambers was a daunting task, and I second-guessed myself a lot in those early years. I pushed through with sheer determination and understanding of the sector. I’d let my younger self know that it’s okay to make a few mistakes along the way because the market is learning about this change in marketing from me.

Overall, I’d tell my younger self to not worry about change; being disruptive is exactly what this sector needs.