Leading the charge: Mad Hat’s Rengeeta Rendava rethinks work structures for better wellbeing

The public relations industry is constantly evolving, where trends, technologies, and creative strategies shape how brands connect with audiences. To stay ahead, PR professionals must embrace change, explore new opportunities, and push traditional boundaries. The future of PR lies in blending innovation with authenticity to build trust and foster meaningful engagement. 

While female leaders are steadily rising to the top, there's still much work to be done to accelerate gender equality and ensure that every voice has an opportunity to be heard. This International Women's Day, A+M celebrates the voices of women who are making waves in Malaysia's communications and public relations landscape, breaking barriers and paving the way for the future generation of leaders. 

Hear from Rengeeta Rendava, founder and managing director, Mad Hat PR, on what she has to say: 

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A+M: How do you define leadership, and how do you believe women bring a unique perspective to leadership roles?  

Rengeeta: To me, leadership is mainly about creating and communicating with clarity, making decisions with conviction, empowering people, and then getting out of the way to let them do great work. In my opinion, some of the most impactful unique perspectives women in leadership roles generally bring, is the ability to navigate complexity, with both logic and intuition. The combination of long-term thinking and emotional depth lends to leadership styles that are decisive, impactful and still empathetic.

But in the end, the best leaders regardless of gender, are those who move fast, think critically and inspire teams to raise their bars, always. 

A+M: What were some of the most significant challenges you've faced as a woman in the industry, and how did you overcome them? 

Rengeeta: I've had a potential client whom we were pitching to say "This job is best done by men, actually". I suppose you could say we overcame that by winning their competitor brand.

A+M: What is one bold step you are hoping to take, to 'accelerate action' in the industry? 

Rengeeta:

"We want to set a new industry standard— one that values not just productivity and profits, but also personal and team sustainability (against overwork and burnout), innovation, and long-term impact. All of which as essential drivers of success."

To ‘accelerate action’, we are constantly rethinking the way we work. One of the most recent steps we’ve taken at Mad Hat is to embed innovation benchmarks into our KPIs, creating the space and structure to actively innovate. We now measure and reward new thinking, smarter processes and strategic risk-taking. Ensuring that creativity isn’t something that happens in the margins but is built into the way we operate. 
 
Another more ongoing initiative is rethinking work structures for better wellbeing and productivity. We’ve introduced a four-day workweek for a minimum of once a month, and the impact has been clear. When people have a dedicated prolonged rest period, they return to work more creative, more strategic and more energised because they’ve had time to fill their personal cups. Our goal is to scale this further, ensuring that our staff bring their best thinking to the table, allowing for sustainability and performance to go hand in hand. 

A+M: What advice would you give to women starting their careers in the industry who want to make a meaningful impact and stand out? 

Rengeeta: Firstly, speak up early and often. Have a point of view, ask sharp questions, speak with confidence and humility. The sooner you find your voice, the sooner people listen. Then you'll have an impact.

Secondly, be relentless about learning. Be actively curious, proactive and adaptive to refine your craft. Read and observe beyond your "job scope". Understand consumer behaviour, shifts, trends and business strategy. The most valuable members of Mad Hat aren’t just the ones who execute well, but the ones who think ahead and bring fresh perspectives.

And lastly, master the business, not just the job. Communications goes beyond media and content. It’s about business strategy, consumer behaviour and problem-solving.

The more you’re interested in and understand the bigger picture, the more indispensable you become. 

Join us this coming 21 May for #Content360, an extravaganza centered around three core thematic pillars: Challenging the norm; Conquering Media Fragmentation; and Unlocking Imagination. Immerse yourself in learning to curate content with creativity, critical thinking, and confidence with us at Content360!   

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