Our Industry Profile takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
This week we speak to Accountability founder & CEO Terry McMillan.
Time in current role/time at the company:
14 years
How would you describe what the company does?
Accountability is a modern ERP and financial management platform built exclusively for agencies that easily integrates with the rest of their ad-tech stack.
What do you do day-to-day?
Manage a team of smart people who are focused on delivering great solutions for our clients and getting stuff done fast.
Define your job in one word:
Listening.
I got into ad tech because:
I was working as a bankteller and saw an ad in the paper for a junior finance role at FCB in 1980.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Building awareness of what we have created. There’s still wide acceptance of sub-standard tools that should have been scrapped years ago and the lack of desire to do things differently.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
ERP platforms can be enablers for the digital transformation that the industry is going through. I believe we need more conversation on the financial operations part of this transformation.
Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
BCC Ad Systems (now Mediaocean), FCB, Ogilvy.
Who is a great mentor to you and why?
My wife Ros, she just sees things for what they are and sets me straight when I am overcomplicating something.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Never be distracted from your vision by short-term commercial opportunities.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Just as obsessed with something else.
My mantra / philosophy is:
Don’t try to solve a problem until you are sure you understand the problem.
My favourite advert is:
In the US there is an ad for State Farm Insurance entitled Jake from State Farm. I love it because it is just funny. I must have seen it a thousand times but it still makes me giggle every time.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Netflix, Prime, SBS.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
We spend so much time communicating with each other. I think they know more about me than my family and non-work friends do.
In five years' time I'll be:
Getting more life into the ‘work-life balance’.
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