Michelle Battersby leaving the Bumble hive for Melbourne lifestyle brand Keep It Cleaner
Three years ago Michelle Battersby took a punt on a female-led dating app she’d never heard of and helped make it a matchmaking powerhouse. Now her sights are set on a popular Melbourne brand.
Lifestyle
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Michelle Battersby is all for taking a chance.
Three years ago, she turned her back on a well-paying banking job to join a company she’d never heard of.
The punt on female dating and networking app Bumble — after a friend put her forward for the role of country lead — was her best gamble yet.
But next month, after the Melbourne Cup Carnival and Bumble’s second foray in Flemington’s exclusive Birdcage is over, the Sydneysider will take another leap of faith with a new marketing role at Melbourne-based lifestyle and fitness empire Keep It Cleaner.
It’s no wonder this “boss lady” is regarded as one of the country’s most inspiring businesswomen.
Described as a go-getter and ideas person, the 28-year-old’s future is bright — even without a firm direction.
“I’ve never really been someone who has a five-year plan and they’ve got it all mapped out,’’ says Battersby, who is Bumble’s associate marketing director of the Asia Pacific region.
“I’ve never been the kind of person to be like that. I think if you get that tunnel vision, sometimes you can miss other opportunities and if I’d been that kind of person, I’m not sure if Bumble would have found its way to me.
“I’ve been so focused on Bumble for the past three years and I’ve lived and breathed it and loved every minute of it. Now I’m really excited to have that opportunity to do it again and excited for that success that is KIC (Keep It Cleaner).
“I can’t wait to be a part of that journey but for now I’m focused on making the Melbourne Cup Carnival a successful activation for Bumble and finishing on a high.”
Battersby’s achievements at Bumble have been numerous since that fateful conversation with Whitney Wolfe, the founder of the US-based dating app.
She has overhauled the image of the brand, turning it into a predominantly business and networking destination for women.
“I think I was lucky because at the time I was hired, it was still in the early days but they had just introduced Bumble BFF, which is the friend-finding vertical,’’ she says.
“From the moment we started here, I always knew one of the hardest things we’d face is the negative stigmas associated with online dating. We were lucky to have BFF and then Bizz came along later on. But from the moment we launched it here three years ago, it was all about talking about our differentiating factors and our mission.
“We’re really about empowering women to go after what they want in all facets of their lives — be that dating, friend finding or business networking. We definitely want to see more women leaders out there in the world.”
Battersby uses the word mission a lot. She has wanted Bumble to stand for something and has pushed to become a leader on social issues.
A recent example is testament to the values the business wants to uphold. After shocking footage emerged last month of cruelty to racehorses, Bumble donated $130,000 to Racing Victoria’s Off the Track program, which helps support the welfare and rehoming of retired racehorses and the animals who don’t make the track.
The donation comes after RV announced on Monday it will dedicate $25 million over three years to its Equine Welfare Strategic Plan, which includes tracking retired racehorses, rehoming them and setting up a welfare taskforce to prevent cruelty.
“I felt we were absolutely heartbroken by what we saw and being a mission-led company, we wanted to do something and do it quickly,’’ Battersby says.
“We’re a supportive partner of the VRC, but we had to acknowledge what was going on and we’re the first sponsor who has done that. We wanted to donate the $130,000 to help assist and make a positive change.”
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For someone at a networking company, Battersby keeps a relatively low profile outside of work.
She dates Melbourne Rebels rugby player Bill Meakes and the couple like to lead a simple life away from red carpets and social events.
She will move to Melbourne permanently once she starts the new role at KIC, the online lifestyle program founded by models Steph Claire Smith and Laura Henshaw.
“Bill is signed until the end of next year but I’m sure he’ll end up staying around,’’ Battersby says.
“I’ve never met a person who doesn’t like Bill. I can definitely feel pressure and stress and he’s good at calming me down and putting things into perspective.”
After this week of racing, Battersby will take a moment to pause and reflect.
At 28, her legacy at Bumble and in business is something she’s proud of.
Since its launch here in December 2016, the app has attracted three million registered users.
It has more than 70 million users in 150-plus countries.
“I’ll never forget the moment where we hit our first one million registrations (in Australia),’’ she says.