Laura Sauveur - MEFA Media Matriarchs 2026

This Women's History Month, Media For All is proud to celebrate 'The Media Matriarchs' redefining UK Media boardrooms.

The series continues with the amazing Laura Sauveur, Head of Product in the Data Team at Global, where we asked her 3 key questions.

About Laura

"I'm Head of Data Product, driven by the opportunity to build data solutions that unlock business growth and empower better decision-making. I believe data should be accessible, usable, and central to how an organisation thinks and grows. I combine product thinking, data strategy, and team leadership to deliver meaningful outcomes - and I’m dedicated to nurturing high-performing, collaborative teams that make it happen. I am also a a certified Scrum Master, SAFe Advanced Scrum Master, and CIPD qualified.

About Global

Global is one of the world’s leading Media & Entertainment groups and the UK’s largest commercial radio broadcaster. Reaching over 26 million listeners every week, Global is home to some of the most iconic and loved radio brands in the UK, including Capital, Heart, LBC, and Classic FM.

Beyond its dominance in audio, Global is a major force in Outdoor advertising. It maintains a massive European footprint, representing over 253,000 outdoor advertising sites across the UK and Europe, including the London Underground, major airports, and premium digital screens.

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Growing up, did you ever imagine yourself in a senior leadership role — and what helped you believe it was possible?

Honestly, yes. Even growing up in a household where no one had been to university, I always saw myself in a senior role or as an entrepreneur. I'm still unpacking why that belief was so strong.

I think part of it was the culture I grew up in. There was a clear narrative that if you worked hard at school, background didn't have to be a barrier. That gave me something concrete to focus on. So, I did. Reflecting back, the self-belief came first and the evidence came later.

What’s one moment in your career where being “different” felt like a disadvantage — but later proved to be a strength?

My career was anything but linear. Multiple roles, different industries, and navigating it all in a language that isn't my first. For a long time that felt like a disadvantage. I didn't have the clean progression story. I didn't always have the confidence in rooms where everyone seemed more fluent, in every sense of that word.

But what that path built in me was adaptability. Each transition compounded. The resilience, the ability to read different environments, the holistic thinking - none of that comes from a straight line. I wouldn't have it if the path had been easier.

What’s a leadership trait you developed early that’s been critical to your progression — but isn’t talked about enough?

Adaptability. And I don't think it gets enough credit as a leadership skill. For me it's not something I learned in a role. It's been there my whole life, shaped by moving around, navigating different environments, starting over more than once. By the time I got into leadership, it was already built in.

At work that translates into being able to bring structure to chaos. When change hits, I'm not destabilised by it. That lets me stay focused on the outcome and, more importantly, it gives my team something steady to work from. And I have had feedback that my staying calm and collected under pressure helps my team navigate change too.

Being goal-oriented keeps me anchored. The noise of change doesn't pull me off course because

I'm already looking past it.

Creative by Nadine Campbell | ACE Consultancy