Q: Don’t be shy, introduce yourself.
A: Hey! I’m Sophie, and I’m Account Director leading our APAC expansion, based in Sydney!
Q: Account Director you say…what do you actually do?
A: As the first Vyde employee on the ground here in Australia, my role is a hybrid between connecting with new agencies and brands to spread the word of Vyde, and ensuring operational efficiency so we can scale in the region. Over the next 12 months, my role will also include scaling out the team in our Sydney office, which I can’t wait to do.
Q: Now that you’ve recovered from the jetlag, what excites you most about the Australian market?
A: For me, it's the innovation. The Australian market is smaller in population, but with significant budgets and the change in economic headwind, a lot of Australian brands have been forced to think differently and be innovative with their ad campaigns. It creates a great testing ground for new tech like ours.
Australia has a bit of a stigma of being behind some of the larger markets – yet while the rest of the world tightens their budgets, the Australian market is still recording strong growth across key digital channels.
Q: Best bit of your job?
A: I LOVE to network. I even have a networking jumpsuit, which is always a conversation starter as it’s bright pink cord!! Being new to the market definitely isn’t easy, but I’ve been so touched by how welcoming the Sydney media scene is, so it’s really the people that make the job for me.
Q: Okay – what’s a part of your job that could suddenly vanish and you wouldn’t cry about it
A: If you’d asked me a year ago, I would’ve definitely said anything to do with billing but now it's definitely the 9 hour time difference from our UK office. We’ve become very operationally slick to manage the different time zones, but I definitely miss catching up with the team over a quick coffee.
Q: What’s a fact about media/advertising that everyone should know?
A: Lobsters were considered the cockroaches of the sea before they were marketed as a luxury food. Don’t underestimate the power of advertising to shift perception.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about working at Vyde? (And no, you can’t say the coffee machine).
A: Feeling part of a business I believe in is so important to me. As a sales person, if you don’t believe in the founders and what you're selling, no-one else will believe you either. That’s what I love about Vyde, we all have a real passion for what we’re building.
Q: Time for a quickfire round: go-to-afternoon snack?
A: Definitely pistachios – we’ve been robbed of that joy in the UK office due to a certain someone’s nut allergy *ahem Miranda (Marketing)*, so I’m taking advantage now.
Q: Loudest person in the (UK) office?
A: I would have to say Christian (VP of Revenue) re-enacting some story from the old media days back in the 80s.
Q: Cake Wednesdays or Drinks Thursdays?
A: Tequila Tuesday?
Q: And, finally, what don’t they tell you about being an Account Director in a totally new market?
A: It’s all about accepting change and recognising quickly when something isn’t working – and being okay with that. I had to learn fairly early on that if your strategy isn’t dynamic, you’ll struggle to get the growth the business needs.
