International Women’s Day 2024 profile: Rene Rose

Think together, thrive together sits at the heart of everything we do at Tonsley Innovation District. It’s a mantra that has strong synergies with this year’s International Women’s Day theme and we’re pleased to be profiling three women who are not only part of the Tonsley ecosystem but who are making vital contributions towards a future that’s gender equal.

Rene Rose is the founder of Positiv, a full-service marketing agency that works predominantly with clients in the manufacturing sector. Rene’s message is clear: work with people who see your value, learn from them and always take others along with you.

If there was a baton for advancing the women around you, it was first passed to Rene Rose by her mother when she was a young woman considering her career opportunities.

Fast forward more than 20 years and Rene is now personifying the belief that women need to empower women – and she is undoubtedly passing the baton on to others.

Rene is the founder of Positiv, a full-service marketing agency based in the MAB at Tonsley Innovation District. While it has not been a deliberate strategy, Positiv is currently an all-female agency and Rene’s enthusiasm for supporting the women around her is clear.

“When I was younger it would have been very easy to take a safe career pathway that wasn’t particularly aspirational,” she said.

“She believed in me, and she set a fantastic example of what can happen when you believe in yourself as well.”

Positiv predominantly works with clients in the manufacturing sector and Rene believes a shift in attitudes towards women in the workplace has been taking place over the past decade.

“Certainly working in marketing, I can remember there being a sense in the early days of starting my business that we should just be given easy things to polish. Now we’re involved in strategic business decisions and the expertise of my team is sought-after and valued,” Rene said.

“My sense is that one of the biggest barriers we face as women is confidence in our own abilities and that’s why I believe it’s so important to show up for other women.

“I have met and continue to meet women who inspire me, who create opportunities for me and who have opened doors for me. I very much try to do the same thing and it’s much more than a sense of duty – it’s incredibly rewarding to see the people around you succeeding and taking on new challenges.”

With a strong awareness of women acting as both challengers and change-makers throughout history, Rene takes on working life with a simple yet powerful approach – search for the people that see and appreciate your value, learn from them and always take others along with you.