Great People: Introducing Jinny Mitchell-Kent

Jinny is one of our newly appointment Managing Directors.

She knows Great State inside out, she's hands on with our clients, our people, our processes and our culture. A professional plate spinner and problem solver; Jinny has the business knowledge and the people skills to get teams up and running at speed. She's focused, friendly and we'd be lost without her.

Introducing, Jinny!

Who are you and what do you do?

I‘m Jinny, joint Managing Director at Great State. I work with David (our other Managing Director) to lead the business.

Our skill sets complement each other, and we partner on many aspects of running the business and shaping our future direction. However, day-to-day tends to focus on looking after finance, business operations and overseeing the work so we deliver the highest quality for our clients.  

How did you get to be here?

That’s a big question. I’d like to say I had a grand plan but that wouldn’t be entirely truthful… I graduated from university with a degree in Media Arts and English and an ambition to work in film or TV but that idea didn’t last long and I quickly found a role in a digital agency as a Production Coordinator. My roots lie firmly in project management, something that has proven indispensable in my progressively more senior roles.

Today, I have 18 years’ experience in digital agencies under my belt. I cut my teeth in small, local agencies, and progressed to looking after global clients for a large London-based agency. As I’ve progressed in my career, I’ve taken on increasing responsibility for scaling, integrating and optimising processes in these agencies, ensuring high-quality delivery across the business.

I joined Great State four years ago as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and moved into the joint MD role in September this year.

What are you working on right now?

My previous role as COO covered lots of aspects of running the business, moving into the joint MD role with David allows me to focus more on the general direction and future of the business, which is an exciting prospect. David and I have worked together across many elements of the business over the last few years, so we’re approaching this new opportunity with a strong foundation of business experience and working dynamic.

How do you know when you’ve produced something great?

When there’s a real buzz and excitement around it. The feeling when the team has really pulled together to create something amazing and it begins with an awesome idea that you see come to fruition.  

What excites you about your work?

I get so much excitement from the people I work with and also when we put high quality work that makes a real impact out into the world. Creating work that matters and makes a difference to users is one of the reasons we do what we do.

But mainly, there is no business without great people, and figuring out how to get people to work well together and how to get the best out of them is a fascinating part of the job. And having a really great spreadsheet obviously.

What excites you in life?

Watching my kids learn and grow and turn into awesome people. Travel, dancing, great films, books and food.

What is the future of tech looking like to you?

That's a really tough question as things are changing all the time. I’m sure it will involve how we use AI (for good). I'm really interested in how tech can be an enabler and enhance people's lives, not for any gimmicky reason.

Ask a question back. What do you want to know?

Can I have an assistant please? Or maybe a housekeeper?

Fancy having a chat with Jinny about your digital products and services? She's all ears.