Our Young Guns profile takes a weekly look at some of the young talent across the advertising, ad tech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles, people and companies across the buzzing industry.
This week we head to Sydney to speak to AppNexus product specialist India Edwards.
How long have you been in the industry?
Just under 18 months.
Duration in current role/time at the company:
AppNexus is my first job in the industry.
What were you doing before this job and how did you get this gig?
Working in project management at Westpac. My friend Erika, solutions consultant at AppNexus, suggested I apply as she thought I’d be up to the challenge. The rest, as they say, is history.
Define your job in one word:
Challenging.
What were your real and cliché expectations of working in the industry?
Being wined and dined by clients all the time.
How does the reality match up?
The industry is full of very intelligent people who work extremely hard and are always willing to lend a hand to help.
How would you describe what the company does and what does your role involve?
AppNexus, now a Xandr company, powers the advertising that powers the internet. Our open, transparent marketplace and powerful enterprise technology enable marketers to connect and engage consumers on thousands of high-quality websites and apps. The ads they buy fund journalism, music, video, and games, to the benefit of consumers who enjoy open access to this premium content.
My role involves:
Enabling our clients to use our products as optimally as possible whilst helping them to solve their day-to-day blockers, so that they can focus on the bigger picture for their clients.
Best thing about the industry you work in:
The people.
Any major hard learnings in the job so far?
That it’s completely fine to not know the answer straight away, but it’s all about having the right attitude to tackle a problem.
If you had to switch over to another department, which would it be and why?
Product – because I think it would be interesting to be at the forefront of developing new and exciting products based on customer needs.
What's exciting you about the industry right now?
The rise of connected TV and all the exciting opportunities it presents.
What concerns you about the industry and its future?
I strongly believe that we all need to continue to push diversity in our industry – diverse teams perform better.
Who's your right hand person/who guides you day to day?
My manager Edrich Ching is a huge influence – he always provides assistance when needed and pushes me to do and be my best.
And your almighty mentor that you hope to dethrone?
Samuel Tan who leads our business in Australia and New Zealand. It would be pretty cool to be in a leadership position for a region for one day.
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in 2020 and how do you plan on getting there?
Working overseas, in a leadership role where I am challenged every day and where I can encourage more women to make the jump into technology roles. I plan to get there by taking every single opportunity that comes my way, and by absorbing as much knowledge from those around me as possible.
What is the elephant in the room? The thing that no one is talking about – but they should be.
While we’ve definitely made progress, I think we still need to focus on encouraging more women to apply for leadership positions and encouraging male allies who are comfortable discussing difficult topics like gender inequality.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
My sisters, they’re all incredibly hard-working, impressive women who I try to emulate every day.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I’m in a Coldplay videoclip (for a very, very short amount of time…it still counts though!)
Favourite advert is:
“Dundee” – initially I was extremely excited for a new Crocodile Dundee film, but it turns out this was an ad for Tourism Australia for the Super Bowl.
I love it because it highlights some of Australia’s best talent and destinations in a tongue-in-cheek way.
What’s your personal motto?
It costs nothing to be nice.
I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:
It sounded like an extremely exciting, interesting and challenging industry to be part of.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Travelling the world for Lonely Planet, or similar.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
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