Talk us through an average day in your role.
My role is to ensure that corporate operations across the company are running smoothly. I spend my mornings identifying the status of major initiatives and where we might have blockers. I then work with senior leaders to develop workarounds or organisational fixes for those blockers. I attend operational
meetings throughout the day to understand how tactical activities are developing and ensuring that those activities support our corporate strategy and goals.
How did you get started in the media industry?
I first started in the media industry in 2018 when I joined OpenDrives as a consultant. Prior to 2018, I had not worked in the M&E industry. I am a life-long veteran of enterprise software, so I have spent much of my career outside M&E.
What training did you have before entering the industry?
I hold three degrees in communications-oriented fields, but I have spent 30 years in the software industry helping to develop and bring software products to market.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry?
I find that the M&E industry is full of highly creative people who also know the value of leveraging the latest technologies to create operational efficiencies as well as to improve their creative output. Our customers are doing very challenging things, and so they understand and appreciate how technology
makes that process smoother, especially the kind of technology like the ones provided by our company that are hugely influenced by customer feedback and the evolving, unique nature of their workflows. I find this very satisfying. Our customers help us; we help them, and together we are shaping the industry.
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours?
Whenever you are offered to try something new, perhaps in a role dissimilar to your own, jump at the chance. For example, if you’ve never done anything with the finance or accounting side of the house but are offered a chance to do a project with that group, leap at the chance and try to understand the world from their perspective: how they get work done, how they overcome challenges, and what best practices exist to make their jobs easier. COOs must know a lot about pretty much every functional area of the company, so being a corporate journeyman helps to provide exposure to every operational nook and cranny.
