1. Tell us about the business you work for and its mission
I work for Signzy, which specializes in creating and enriching digital onboarding experiences; helping Financial Institutions and other companies reduce fraud, costs associated with digital onboarding, and customer drop-off during digital onboarding journeys while improving turnaround times and automation.
2. What attracted you to working in marketing originally?
Originally, I wanted to work in business, but wanted to avoid sales because I despised cold calling and, 'didn't want to annoy people'. Obviously, I have learned there can be a lot more to sales, but marketing is what I love doing - the amount of different things you can specialize in under the marketing umbrella and the way in which, if done well, marketing can positively impact a businesses success.
3. What was your path to becoming a marketing leader?
I was very lucky to start my career with a small company that put me in charge of all their marketing. This gave me a solid base of knowledge to build off of. From there, I have always been willing to work on pretty much everything under the marketing umbrella, sharpening my knowledge across the board. What each company is looking for in a marketing leader can vary greatly, so having a large amount of tools in your belt can help you fit what different companies need.
4. What are the core skills and experience required for your position?
I think this can vary greatly based on the company you are working for. At a very high level though, the ability to be flexible and have a broad base of knowledge to pull from are helpful. Outside of general marketing knowledge, the ability to build out go-to-market plans and budgets are two important skills that are critical and maybe less obvious.
5. Who are the key players every marketing leader should have in their team?
When building out a team, it can vary based on your own strengths and what your goals are as a marketing department, however I think a digital marketing position is extremely important with how necessary a strong online presence is. From there, I would also suggest that a communications professional is important in telling a strong, coherent story while creating thought leadership - Chat GPT isn't quite there yet. After that, additional positions should be evaluated by business need.
6. What qualities do you look for when hiring for a marketing team?
Because of my management style and workload I prefer a team that is able to operate autonomously with minimum oversight. Outside of that, I find it most useful to hire for abilities I am less strong in to build out the strongest marketing team possible. I also like to seek out viewpoints that vary from mine, as I am a firm believer that having different opinions in a team setting can yield more thoughtful and solid outcomes.
7. Tell us what you love most about working in marketing
I think this is two fold for me - first, I love the ability to tell a story in a way that resonates with your audience. Seeing leads come in based purely on my efforts makes me feel amazing. The other thing I love is the variability. I am typically tasked with wearing quite a few hats, which leaves my day-to-day looking very different. I really enjoy that variance and having something new and fresh to do each day.
8. What advice would you give to someone wanting to develop a career in marketing?
Learn as much as you can. I truly believe the ability for me to do so many different things in marketing has been what has allowed me to advance my career. Aside from that, a passion for what you are doing will always lead to a better quality of work and enjoyment in your work life.
9. What do you do to relax in your free time?
Challenging things that in no way resemble relaxation for most people. I enjoy running up mountains, kayaking, hiking, rowing, running, swimming, among other activities. I love working out and doing outdoor activities that challenge myself both physically and mentally!
10. Which essential item do you always pack for a business trip?
Suits. Know your audience! I actually vastly prefer more casual dress, however when focusing on Financial Institutions, it is more important to meet customer expectations. Aside from that, running shoes are typically a must-pack and as soon as I get to the hotel I always go out and get a jug of water to make sure I am sufficiently hydrated - you have to be feeling great to perform great!
