Our Industry Profile takes a weekly look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, ad tech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
This week we head to Sydney to meet Krux country manager ANZ, Jo Gaines.
Duration in current role/time at the company:
14 months
In one sentence, how would you describe what the company does?
Krux is a real-time data management platform (DMP) that helps businesses drive revenue through smarter content, commerce and marketing experiences to people.
In one sentence, what does your role involve?
I am responsible for building the local strategy, growing new business opportunities and maintaining strong partnerships with existing customers.
Within the last six months/year, what stands out as the company’s major milestones?
The list is long and the business is moving at a phenomenal pace. It’s the fastest moving business I’ve ever worked in! A few highlights include:
- Moving out of my living room and setting up an office in Surry Hills
- Exceeding customer growth targets by 300% YOY
- Partnering with Nielsen and Salesforce globally
- Recruiting the most kick-arse team to represent us in the region (and some other incredible talent globally)
- Hiring Kellogg’s head of paid media as our CMO
Best thing about the industry you work in:
There are no experts and anyone who thinks they are, definitely isn’t and probably won’t last long.
Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
I’ve worked for DSP Brandscreen and a multitude of fabulous publishers, mostly in the digital space. I earned my digital stripes at Yahoo and have also worked at CBS, Sensis, BMC Media (which was the first ad network in Australia and also acquired by Sensis) and Kidspot. I also ran my own digital consultancy business for a while. Prior to all of that I worked in print.
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in three years’ time?
It’s so much more realistic to be asked about three years instead of five! I know I’ll definitely still be surrounded by great, intelligent people and that’s the most important thing to me. My vision is also to see Krux be the undisputed go-to DMP in A/NZ.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I have always aspired to be a writer. I love writing stories and keeping a record of ideas/random thoughts. I have notebooks and digital memos saved all over the place.
Top networking tip:
Ask questions and be a good listener. Ditch the sales pitch.
My favourite restaurant for a business lunch is:
Nomad. You really can’t go wrong with most places in Surry Hills.
My favourite advert is:
“Like a Girl” campaign. I never get tired of this one. It’s a powerful message and I’ve used it multiple times to inspire greatness in my own little girls.
My must-have gadget is:
My Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. It’s all shiny, gold and very new!
My favourite media is:
I have a healthy appreciation for all media. Everything has its place, but honestly, digital media in all its shapes and forms has been such a life-changer for me in so many ways that it is hands-down my favourite. It was love at first byte!
My favourite TV show is:
(currently) Orange Is The New Black
The last book I read:
The Motivation Manifesto: Declarations to Claim Your Personal Power, by Brendon Burchard.
My mantra/philosophy is:
Words are meaningless without intent and follow through.
I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:
Originally I thought it would help me get a role as a journalist. Then I discovered I actually enjoyed the art of selling and the importance of truly believing in your business and your product, which is how I’ve landed here at Krux.
If I wasn't doing this for a living I'd be:
A psychologist or a yoga instructor. I enjoy helping others find their way in life.
In five years' time I'll be:
Oh, here’s the five years’ question. As I get older, I struggle more and more with this one. So much can happen in five years. If you were to ask most people five years ago, “what does DMP stand for” they probably would have said Domino’s Pizza (their ASX stock code!). I know I’ll have an almost-teenage daughter in the house and that scares the hell out of me! I’ll also be doing something that combines data and psychology.
Define your job in one word:
Trail-blazing.
What's your poison:
Dirty vodka martini and, during August (as I’ll be doing 30 days clean), green juice!
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