Nicola Sharon Mendelsohn, Lady MendelsohnCBE is a British advertising executive. Active in the advertising industry since 1992, she was named vice-president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Facebook in June 2013. She is also a non-executive director of Diageo. The Daily Telegraph has called her "the most powerful woman in the British tech industry".
Early life and education
Nicola Sharon Clyne was born in Manchester, England. Her mother, Celia Clyne, is a kosher caterer; her father Barry Clyne is Chairman of Celia Clyne Banqueting, and her brother Mark also works in the family business. She was a youth member of the Jewish youth organisation the BBYO and attended Manchester High School for Girls from 1982 to 1987. From 1989 to 1992 she attended the University of Leeds, graduating with a bachelor's degree in English and Theatre Studies. In her senior year, she helped raise £20,000 for Jewish causes.
Career
Mendelsohn originally planned to attend drama school and become an actress, but on a friend's recommendation decided to explore advertising instead. She was offered a graduate training scheme at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, where she worked from September 1992 to January 2004, advancing to Business Development Director. In April 2004 she became Deputy Chairman of Grey London, serving in that capacity until December 2007. She was also European Business Development Director for the Grey Communications Group from 2004 to 2008. In April 2008 she became partner and executive chairman at Karmarama, a London advertising agency. In 2013 she was hired as Facebook Vice-President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, ending the company's half-year search to replace outgoing VP Joanna Shields. She brings her extensive advertising and political contacts to the job, which is the company's most senior position outside the US. Mendelsohn is a strong advocate of work–life balance and flextime for women with families. She has worked a four-day week since her first child, born during her tenure at BBH, was one year old. At Facebook, too, she works only from Monday to Thursday.
In 2015 she was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to the creative industries as part of the 2015 Queen's Birthday Honours. Also in 2015, Computer Weekly ranked Mendelsohn number 34 on its "50 Most Influential Women in UK IT 2015", she was named one of the Most Inspiring Women in European Tech by the Inspiring Fifty organisation, and Debrett's included her on their "People of Influence" in the Debrett's 500 2015. In 2014 she was included on GQlist of the 100 Most Connected Women in Britain, and ranked number 85 on The Jewish ChroniclePower 100 list. In 2013, she ranked number 69 on The Guardian "MediaGuardian 100 2013". In 2011 she was named one of Advertising Age "Women to Watch". In 2005 Management Today included her on its list of the top 35 women under 35 in the business world. In 2017, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate at the University of Salford. In 2019, Mendelsohn was 34th in Computer Weekly's 50 'Most Influential Women in UK Tech' shortlist.
Personal
She married Jonathan Mendelsohn, a British lobbyist and Labour political organiser, in 1994. He was created a life peer as Baron Mendelsohn, of Finchley in the London Borough of Barnet in 2013. She and her husband are Jewish and are active in their synagogue and Jewish community. In November 2015 they became the new presidential couple for the Norwood Anglo-Jewish family services charity. They reside in Finchley with their three sons and one daughter. On World Cancer Day she made public that she had been diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, an incurable cancer of the blood. Mendelsohn said that she made the announcement to raise awareness about the cancer, describing it as not rare but little-known.
