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.
Jen Cerqualia: Client strategy partner at VERSA.
Time in current role/time in company:
I’ve just commenced in this newly created position at VERSA in the last couple of months.
How would you describe what the company does? VERSA is a world-leading digital transformation agency helping organisations with everything digital including strategy, user research, data and analytics, website creation and development, user experience (UX), visual design, content management, continuous improvement, and conversational AI products such as live chat and virtual assistants plus voice-first experiences.
What do you do day to day?
I help organisations from private to government and not-for-profit create digital roadmaps for shaping their customer experiences for the better.
I lead the creation of optimised solutions by pulling together the best digital specialist teams, products, and services.
Define your job in one word:
Transformational
I got into marketing because:
I love making information digestible to create change, make connections and empower people to adopt products and services that can help them and the greater community.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
The fast pace of digital innovation to strike that sweet spot between organisational and audience needs.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
Accessibility and inclusion being at the forefront of creating digital solutions instead of an add-on towards the end of creation.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
Save Energy campaign website creating behavioural change to save energy and raise awareness about climate change - launched in Melbourne by Al Gore (Nobel Peace prize winner, environmental activist, and US Vice President) for Sustainability Victoria.
Launching the Smart Approved Watermark campaign website for services and household products that save water consumption.
Announcing a new helicopter service for Telstra Child Flight emergency helicopter service for babies and children to save thousands of little lives per year.
The Live in Melbourne ‘My Story’ campaign featuring migrant stories from people who moved to Melbourne and changed their lives.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
My Mother Lorraine and Aunty Irene have been role models for balancing paid work with parenting. They also encouraged inviting others to the table who need representation and opportunity as through privileges you have responsibilities to help others. They’ve given hope to some of the most marginalised groups.
In my last job I worked for an amazingly inspiring and encouraging Digital Transformation Director Donovan Ferguson and in my current job I'm fortunate to have a fiercely passionate leader Kath Blackham who is a great example of being a successful working parent as CEO of VERSA.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours:
I think my job is a mix of everything I love about working in the digital industry. I’ve worked for 25 years specialising in digital. I love building on client relationships, working on strategies and roadmaps to achieve the best possible business and audience outcomes.
I’m very much an advocate for honing in on strengthening what you naturally shine at and have a passion for. It allows your unique contributions to come to the surface and will give you more longevity and less burnout.
If I wasn’t doing this for a living, I’d be:
Working with children to help create a generation of empathic leaders. I’m sure you can tell I’m a huge Brené Brown fan and believe in teaching vulnerability and authenticity in the formative years and that it’s never too late to learn.
Kudos to the Bully Zero organisation for their tireless efforts in changing schools and workplaces to become welcoming and productive environments instead of places of anguish. Anything less than safe, valued and respected should not be tolerated. Let’s foster this behaviour as early as possible.
My mantra is:
"Still I Rise" inspired by Maya Angelou. It encapsulates that the human spirit will never cease to rise again and again. It also expresses that freedom is a right for all and not to be defined by adversities or oppressors. It highlights the power of fighting injustice.
I also live by: "We don't always have to agree with one another to respect each other."
My favourite advert is:
Respect Victoria Respect Women - ‘Call it out’ and ‘bring up respect’ ads to shift thinking, challenge stereotypes and promote respect for women. I’m a feminist and gladly wear the title. I also applaud the Consent is a Conversation ad with Clementine Ford.
Plus, most of the ads that Todd Sampson from Gruen likes. I respect his views on so many things that I’m sure we’d share the same ad faves list. If Todd’s reading this, I welcome a coffee with you anytime to compare lists.
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
I love a good upbeat playlist on Spotify. I also have a fondness for science and business leadership podcasts and like a biography, comedy or doco on Stan, Netflix or Prime.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you:
I volunteer to run kids’ yoga classes to help them with overcoming stress and anxiety. It also instils a sense of respect in how they relate to others to help eradicate bullying.
I am a course junkie. I like to learn new things to improve my practice and inadvertently end up with qualifications to teach others or volunteer to help others, such as running kids’ yoga classes to raise money for charities.
I also volunteer for VIC ICT for Women Network to increase opportunities for women in STEAM related industries, starting with education at primary schools.
In five years’ time I’ll be:
Continuing to lead creations of innovative solutions and learning from the years of improvements to ‘ease of use’ that I’ve helped shape for thousands of organisations and audiences. I’d love to still be doing this with VERSA.
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