Simeon Swain.
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.
Simeon Swain, APAC Lead - Agency, Brand & Platform Partnerships at Samba TV.
Time in current role: I joined just under 3 years ago as one of the first hires in AU.
How would you describe what the company does?
We are the global leader in TV technology. We power real-time insights and audience targeting to enable marketing efficiency and effectiveness. Our proprietary first-party data across more than 20 TV brands is sold in over 100 countries and provides advertisers and media companies a unified view of the entire consumer journey.
What do you do day to day?
I’m lucky to work with some of Australia’s biggest brands, agencies and platforms helping them tackle tough ad challenges. Whether it’s boosting incremental reach or standing out from the competition, we team up to craft custom solutions that deliver real results.
Define your job in one word:
Fulfilling.
I got into the industry because:
Friends in media pointed me toward adtech, and I’m glad they did! At Samba TV, I get to be part of the fast-paced world of adtech and the ever-evolving TV industry—all while working alongside an incredible, tight-knit community.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Samba TV’s data is incredibly flexible—it integrates with everything from CTV and BVOD to OOH, Audio, and Social. That means endless possibilities for clients, and the real struggle is fitting all of this into just one meeting!
What’s the biggest industry wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
With viewership behaviours shifting and more dollars flowing into ad-supported streaming, the industry needs better ways to track overlap, frequency, and reach. Right now, they suffer from some big gaps—filling them is a game-changer.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
Yasmin Sanders, Samba TV’s Managing Director in APAC is a constant source of inspiration. Those that know her will agree that she is equal parts hard worker, commercial genius and great person. There is a great podcast with Melanie Silva where she talks about not existing in ruinous empathy and the value of good feedback. Yaz has a talent for bringing out the best in people and that’s something I aspire to embody as well.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
If you embrace a learning mentality and challenge yourself, opportunities will present themselves.
If I wasn’t doing this for a living, I'd be:
If I weren’t in adtech, I’d be breaking down game stats for a living! With so many Aussies in Sports Science & Analytics across the NBA, NFL, and EPL, I’d love to apply my love of data to the world of sports.
My philosophy is:
Progress beats perfection.
My favourite advert is:
The AAMI “Athletes in the Making’ ad nails the spirit of the TV moment (Olympics). I also love Nestlé’s confectionary ads, but I may be biased since my wife works there!
Music and TV streaming habits: what do you subscribe to?
I subscribe to Spotify and just about every major TV streaming service. I try to make a point to check out the latest local content—it’s great to see Aussie shows getting more recognition on the global stage.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I love fantasy sports and take my season prep and drafts very seriously.
In five years time I'll be:
I’ll still be solving industry challenges and working with great people—there’s always something new to tackle in this space.
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