Time in current role/time at the company:
I have been at Foxtel Media for just over three years, selling Australia’s most watchable video network. I came into the company as an TV Account Manager working across the IPG Mediabrands portfolio, and since then have gained experience working across both GroupM and Omnicom Media Group. We successfully moved from having dedicated TV and digital sales teams to a converged team in 2023, after being one of the first in Foxtel Media involved in the pilot test a year prior. This year I had the privilege of receiving a promotion to senior account manager, based here in Sydney.
How long have you been in the industry?
I’ve been in media for five years, starting out at Sports Entertainment Network in client services and partnerships back in 2019. Having the chance to work across multiple mediums like radio and TV has been great. You could say I’m old fashioned.
How did you get here? Was this always the plan?
As a kid I always had ambitious dreams of a career in music or film. I haven’t lost the love for that path (maybe someday), but I did feel the need to pursue a career directly aligning to my degree. It may not be the right words, but I stumbled into media. I started in communications straight out of university and although I enjoyed it, I was looking for something a little faster in pace which is what I had heard the industry is quite well known for.
Who is your right-hand person/who guides you day to day?
He is my manager and a great friend, Hayden Micallef. He is part of the furniture over here at Foxtel Media and has so much knowledge in all that we do. Hayden is well-loved internally at the Foxtel Group and externally amongst our agency partners, putting his down-to-earth nature on display every day. I am lucky to get to work with him daily as he makes my job enjoyable, and grateful for his support.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
Perhaps it’s cliché, but it’s the people. We have fun whilst getting the job done. I’ve met some incredibly friendly people and enjoyed some unbelievable conversations that I cannot say I would get elsewhere. There are talented and caring individuals that are driving change in both the industry and outside, with the goal of improving lives. I am proud of the work we do to support charities and giving them a platform to promote their causes, which can only be done with the backing of leaders across the industry.
And the biggest challenge?
We have plenty of challenges from campaign measurement to emissions, but in the short term it is market volatility and where this leads us. In a world full of conflict and advancing tech, we need to do our bit to put people first and the machine second – in the long run, this will hopefully result in better results as long as we retain relevancy.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
I have been a follower of Julie Eckersley who heads up scripted content over at SBS for a few years now. Any individual that can champion locally produced content is a hero in my eyes, and I believe she is one of the best in the country at doing so.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Give me a live gig or a critically acclaimed film to inspire me. I’m a big advocate for creators and wish I could gift the world like they do.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I am an open book and share too many fun facts about myself at work, so this is quite the question. I am currently learning how to speak Norwegian to the delight of my partner (who is of Norwegian descent).
In five years' time I'll be:
Even wiser! In all honesty, probably married with a kid or two. Career wise, I’ll still be in the industry, working with more agency partners than ever before and mentoring the next generation.
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