Jesse McColl.
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.
Jesse McColl: Group director at Engima Media.
Time in current role/time at the company:
18 months as Group Director and 11 years at Enigma Media.
How would you describe what the company does?.
Enigma is a full-service agency, and Enigma Media is the media agency that sits within those walls. We are lucky to be able to work with and learn from a brilliant creative team and have been trained up to think and connect media and creative from the outset. Our mission is to become a world class media and creative agency founded in Newcastle. Yes, that’s right, my team and I are all in beautiful Newcastle (and we have a thriving Sydney office too)!
What do you do day-to-day?
I lead an amazing team of individuals and oversee a portfolio of incredible clients. We are a truly integrated team that do everything from TV buying to search, reporting and AdOps all in the one integrated team.
Define your job in one word:
Collaborative.
I got into media because:
The age old tale of falling into media without realising this was actually a job. But I’ve fallen in love with the audience insights and the ability to pull media levers to help deliver real business outcomes.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Knowing what’s around the corner and balancing immediate performance with long-term transformation.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?.
The constant battle of short-term performance over brand and sacrificing attention and impact for cheap reach and leads. We’re at a tipping point in terms of what this means from a media effectiveness point of view. Dr Karen-Nelson Fields latest research on media effectiveness is a good read.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
More recently, working across Lendlease, there are some amazing projects we get to be involved in. One Circular Quay stands out as a project which redefines what luxury and ultra-high-net-worth audiences mean and the need to find more attention grabbing and interesting ways to reach the very-high-end buyer.
My team also worked on the new Homeworld campaign and bringing this to life to re-establish the brand. It even got picked up by Gruen which is pretty cool. We have an amazing client who is a true partner and we are really excited to continue building on this momentum.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
We are so lucky to have such depth of knowledge in the business. It’s a great environment where you can access anyone in the business no matter the title. I’ve worked with Amy Dascanio for years and she has been a constant on my journey, and I always value her guidance personally and professionally. Justin Ladmore will make the time for anyone and his passion for the work is infectious. Sally Lawrence is wise beyond her years, and I’m inspired by her craft both from a product and people point of view. Jess Roach is a mentor I met through the IMAA Female Leaders of Tomorrow Program and fortunate that we’ve continued to keep in touch beyond the program. She has great insight, advice and always asks the right questions to get the wheels turning.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
1.Just give it a crack. Say yes!
2.Always do your research.
3.Take accountability for your actions, apply learnings and move on.
4.Be hard on the work, not the people.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
An architect or something around Urban Planning. Working across clients like Lendlease really highlights how the built environment can impact people’s quality of life.
My mantra is:
These are the good days! Don’t wish the time away and be present.
My favourite advert is:
Anything with a good jingle. It could be from any category, a local brand to global brand, if it has a catchy tune it will get me every time. Back in the day the Reading & Writing Hotline: one three double o, six triple five, o-six, to Qantas: I still call Australia home. At different ends of the scale but all memorable!
Music and TV streaming habits. What do you subscribe to?
Bluey dominates at home, but I have multiple streaming services on the go at one time depending on the content available.
I spend most of my time listening to podcasts – The Imperfects, If You’re Listening, Female Founder World, The Limitless Equation.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
My top Spotify Wrapped genre for 2025 was… classical music. Maybe why I never offer to run the team playlist in the office.
In five years' time I'll be:
An ‘attention’ seeker. In a good way!
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