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.
For our last profile we spoke with Nine Entertainment branded content developer, Simon J. Heath.
This time we chat to PubMatic AUNZ country manager, Peter Barry.
Duration in current role/time at the company:
Just over a year.
In one sentence, how would you describe what the company does?
We help publishers to realise the full potential of their digital assets.
In one sentence, what does your role involve?
I work largely across all parts of the business, including both the publishers and buyers we work with, as well as support my amazing team across Australia and New Zealand.
Within the last six months/year, what stands out as the company’s major milestones?
There are quite a few, but if I had to pick out three they would be (in no particular order): The increased uptake of our wrapper solution and the great monetisation that publishers are seeing as a result, the launch of our comprehensive revenue management platform, SEVEN; and the record revenue we saw as a business in 2016, which we announced just last month. That last one is particularly satisfying as it means our publishers are also seeing increased success, which is our top priority.
Best thing about the industry you work in:
The learning curve is practically vertical, which is fantastic. I also have the opportunity to meet really “switched on” people and travel to great places. Beats being tied to a desk.
Previous industry related (ad land/ad tech) companies you have worked at:
Ad2one in Australia and in Ireland. Prior to that I spent six years in print, preceded by four years in radio.
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in three years time?
Still in ad tech in either Australia or Southeast Asia.
What is the elephant in the room? The thing that no one is talking about – but they should be.
The Facebook-Google duopoly and its global impact on the digital media industry. The fact that content distributors are getting the lion’s share of revenue for content created and published by someone else is an imbalance that needs to be addressed.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I once managed to knock myself unconscious playing rugby. To make it even worse, the match was recorded…
Top networking tip:
Don’t try to sell to someone as soon as they accept your invite on LinkedIn. Oh, and put your phone in your pocket during face-to-face meetings – listening is a rare and much appreciated skill.
My favourite restaurant for a business lunch is:
Sake in the Rocks – tasty and quiet enough to have a proper conversation.
My favourite advert is:
An ad that really made me want to buy a product was this an Adidas Originals one from 2009 – it oozes cool, has an amazing soundtrack and features an epic house party. What’s not to love?
More recently, serial memorable ad producers (and makers of my favourite tipple), Guinness, created this doozy. Gives me shivers every time:
My must-have gadget is:
At the moment it’s my new GoPro – snowboarding magic.
My favourite media is:
A good Sunday brunch mixes perfectly with a good Sunday newspaper.
My favourite TV show is:
The first season of True Detective blew my mind.
The last book I read:
Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, by Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff. It demonstrates why you should never rest on your laurels.
My mantra / philosophy is:
“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.”
I got into publishing because:
Ireland didn’t have a space agency and NASA weren’t interested.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
An astronaut, obviously.
In five years' time I'll be:
Five years older, but none the wiser.
Define your job in one word:
Ever-evolving (almost one word).
What's your poison:
Guinness when in Ireland, a decent beer everywhere else.
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