International Women’s Day 2025: Chiara’s Story

Tell us about yourself, Chiara. 

My name is Chiara Trani and I'm the current Campaign Planning & Performance Lead in the new Greene King structure. I've been with the team for a little over three years and started as Marketing Manager for Pub and Kitchen and Pub and Social. I've had a few roles but it expands your experience and enables you to meet new people. It's been a great journey so far. 
 

What drew you to working for a company like Greene King? 

I just felt Greene King was a company that could offer more opportunities and allow me to move into different roles. I was approached by a recruiter initially but I got that sort of vibe about the company right away. I was working at Alton Towers previously. That was a fantastic place to work and very fun, but I felt the vibe with Greene King was that everyone was collaborative.  
 

What do you love the most about working for Greene King? 

Everyone wants to help and they do it in good spirits. Obviously, I have faced challenges, but I've never experienced one that is negative. And challenges are easier to tackle when you have a good culture and the right people. Everyone is genuinely nice, not fake. Even if I'm working on my own in the office, there will still be people who come over and see how I'm doing. Plus, you get to go around the pubs and meet people. We have pubs all around the country, so I get to travel. 
 

What do you think Greene King does well with regards to gender equality and empowerment? 

It's one of the few places I've worked where I've never felt different because I'm a woman, which is a huge thing to say out loud. I have worked for other companies where someone has made a passing comment that makes you think, or you felt something was a bit of a dig. But Greene King's culture is amazing. 
 

Do you feel that way in the day-to-day of your job or across the business as a whole? 

I think both. In my role, I have to deal with a lot of pubs and management, and it's mostly men in those roles. But it never felt challenging. There are definitely areas that could do with improvement, like in the Support Centres and in pubs, but it's changing and I can feel that in only the three years I've been here. There has been a shift. 
 

What can Greene King and the wider hospitality industry do to ensure better gender equality and rid of negative stereotypes? Particularly in male-dominated areas? 

I think it's about giving a platform to different voices. Talking to landladies and showing people that the career option exists. It may be hard to think of moving into a certain world if you're not used to seeing women in those roles. Also, it's important to empower women in these roles in pubs and make sure they feel safe.  
 

Why is International Women's Day important to you? 

I come from Italy where there's even more inequality than here in the UK. The day is important because we have to keep the attention on it. Especially as we're living in a world where a lot of people are trying to fight against International Women's Day or push us backwards. The fight may evolve but it's not over. There are still pockets that need attention. 
 

What can we do to empower the women around us? Be that friends or family? 

I think one of the most important things is to make sure their voices are heard. There's nothing worse than feeling you're not being heard. Make them feel confident enough to speak up when things are not right. Not everybody has the same strength or the same method of fighting for things. I also think we need to realise that we all suffer from a bit of imposter syndrome. I think it's important to recognise how yours manifests too.  
 

How does your imposter syndrome manifest? 

I become very 'it's my way or the highway'. When I recognise I'm doing that, I realise something has clearly triggered me. I have a very yellow and red personality. Most of the time people get my yellow, bubbly personality but if I feel threatened or triggered, it goes red. I didn't recognise it until I worked on it. So we must recognise it and mitigate it so we don't suffer. 
 

When did you first feel imposter syndrome in your career? 

Probably from the start. I studied International Diplomatic sciences and then got a master’s in Mass Media Politics. After I left university, I applied for a job at Burger King European headquarters and got a spot. Out of 7,000 people they selected 26, and a lot of people came from big universities across Europe. I felt I had to prove myself, especially as I didn't have a degree in marketing or economics like the others. So, I've always worked seven times harder and that's just evolved. Every time I've been promoted, my imposter syndrome has flared up again.  
 

Do you think that women are often pitted against each other? 

I don't think we do that at Greene King. I've been lucky with the team I'm in. But I do think some companies do it. Some thrive off that kind of competition. That's triggering and I think it's down to how you train your managers. Ensure your managers give everyone equal opportunities. I'm the kind of manager who likes to adapt to what my team needs. I will leave people to do their own thing and see them when they report back in. I hate micromanaging, but if someone in the team needs more direction and support I’m happy to adapt. 
 

This year's theme for International Women's Day is Accelerate Action. What action do we as women need to accelerate? 

I think to believe in ourselves. A lot of people have seen that famous Ted Talk that says women often only apply for jobs if they feel they have 100% of the qualifications. I've almost had to fight against that fear myself. You may not have all the qualifications but you may have a lot of them and a lot of experience. You don't need to be amazing from day one either. There's a curve you can learn and people will be there to teach you. 
 

What do you think Greene King could improve to empower its female workforce? 

Talking and being open with each other. Even if it's just about how we are all different. I have bad days and I suffer quite a lot with my period. You tend to mask that. You tend to plough through it, especially if you feel like you have to prove yourself.  

We shouldn't feel pressure to perform on days when we're cramping or we want to cry and don't want to get out of bed and we should be able to express that and feel heard and understood. 
 

What would you say is your proudest achievement in the workplace? 

Working through COVID in 2021. I didn't get furloughed, and at one point, just three people were working full time in the marketing team of Alton Towers. We were three women too and we looked out for each other. We launched new rides and came up with stories and pitches for them. There was a lot of doom and gloom in the world at the time, but we launched these attractions with a sense of fun. 
 

What would you say is your proudest achievement in your personal life? 

I used to teach aerial arts in my free time, until July last year. I was teaching girls between 11 and 15 and one of my pupils had autism and was really shy. I’ve connected with her and watched her bloom year after year. She comes to the studio now and she laughs and is so happy, and seeing her enjoy herself and be confident in her skills is nothing short of amazing.  

Also, I’m quite proud that all the dogs I've had in my life are rescues and those moments when their personality starts coming through once they finally feel safe are some of my life best memories. 
 

Final question. What advice would you give to your teenage self? 

Probably to live the life she wants and not the one she thinks other people want her to live. Make her decisions and don't be so fearful of what other people will think.