Our Young Gun profile takes a look at some of the young talent across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles, people and companies across the buzzing industry.
Today we speak to Impact business development and marketing representative APAC Bronagh Marley.
Time at the company:
About 18 months.
How long have you been in the industry?
…..About 18 months! This is my first role in the martech space.
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
This was most definitely not the plan. After completing a degree in International Relations and failing Mandarin (twice) I thought the next logical step would be to move to Shanghai. A six-month Mandarin course turned into almost two years where I studied Chinese full time, while working for a small ed-tech start-up and coaching the Shanghai German School swim team. Needless to say, I returned to Sydney with a rather eclectic background.
People would ask me what was next, to which I gave the fairly ambiguous answer of “find a job where I can keep a finger on the pulse of Asia with a company that has a start-up culture, but comes with a history of success...” I somehow managed to find exactly that plus more in a vertical I had never initially heard of!
Who guides you day to day?
Our managing director and fearless leader, Adam Furness and our marketing director, events QUEEN and general all-rounder: Ayaan Mohamud.…. And Lizzo. Lots of Lizzo.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
How dynamic it is! In my short time working in the affiliate and partnerships industry I’ve been able to engage with marketers, brands, agencies, tech vendors and non-profits. I’ve been able to learn by osmosis very quickly and appreciate the scope and diversity of roles and companies in this space.
As the industry is constantly evolving, even someone who has been around a lot longer than me, has an opportunity to constantly upskill and learn new things.
And the biggest challenge?
In my day to day, the education piece is definitely an important one. Partnerships are a massive growth opportunity, particularly in this market and finding the best way to get the message out to Australian enterprises is the next step… and something I’m striving for!
While working in an ever-evolving industry is exciting, it also challenges me to hold myself accountable when it comes to keeping abreast of changes (RIP cookies!) in order to successfully field questions in a client facing role.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
I once went to a career talk by a marine biologist who employed someone full time to swim around and look for whale sharks. So, if she’s reading this...
Otherwise, if my trajectory so far has taught me anything, it’s to keep an open mind as you may love a job you’d never set your sights on previously.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
First port of call is always my parents, they have definitely inspired my perpetually itchy feet (which they probably regret now…. sorry, guys) and thirst for knowledge. One outcome of said itchy feet has meant I have an amazing network of friends which means I not only have a couch to crash on in most major cities, I can also draw from their experiences, stories and ambitions.
Professionally, I am fortunate to work with a team of people who are all experts in their field, seriously passionate about what they do and possess a diverse range of skill sets that I benefit from daily.
Honourable mentions: Gertrude Ederle (first woman to swim the English Channel), Michelle Obama, and Greta!!
My favourite advert is:
Kendall Jenner and Pepsi! Just kidding.
Rhonda and Ketut forever:
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you:
I honestly don’t think there’s anything they don’t know at this stage. If any of them ask though… I am extremely interesting and mysterious.
In five years’ time I’ll be:
Celebrating having completed all seven Channel swims, still in a job and industry where I can work with whip-smart people in an area I can keep learning and developing… and able to walk into my local brunch spot where the waiter asks “the usual?”
What’s your personal motto?
(May have stolen this one off my boss… Thanks, Adam!) “If you’re not winning…. You’re learning.”
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