Our Industry Profile takes a weekly look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, ad tech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
This week we head to Melbourne to meet MD Exponential APAC and South Africa, Ben Maudsley.
Duration in current role/time at the company:
Just under five years
In one sentence, how would you describe what the company does?
We deliver innovative video-centric advertising experiences to intelligently connect brands with a highly targeted audience across desktop and mobile.
In one sentence, what does your role involve?
Sales Solutions, business and people management, team development product marketing, industry connector, table tennis professional and occasional bon viveur.
Within the last six months/year, what stands out as the company’s major milestones?
On the product side we launched a portfolio of our proprietary, scalable video ad formats, VDX which give brands and consumers a really immersive video-centric experience. On our own brand, we had a major overhaul and consolidated our separate divisions under the Exponential brand umbrella and re-designed our website to truly reflect our focus on video experiences. And on the client side, we hosted our first brand summit retreat for selected brands and agencies which was a huge success.
Best thing about the industry you work in:
It is continuously evolving and innovating.
Previous industry related companies you have worked at:
Mindshare, Starcom, Blue Digital / MA2 (Former Starcom Digital arm) all in Melbourne and US Airways (London).
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in three years’ time?
Still here hopefully as there’s so much more to do and achieve. It sounds trite but our team is amazing and I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
Before starting my advertising career I was a barman on a boat on the river Thames, London.
Top networking tip:
Be active on LinkedIn and always treat people as you’d like to be treated.
My favourite restaurant for a business lunch is:
Gingerboy
My favourite advert is:
I bought a Jeep
My must-have gadget is:
Besides my phone it would my Bose noise cancelling headphones
My favourite media is:
Digital aside it would be outdoor
My favourite TV show is:
Anything sport related
The last book I read:
The Fall of the ANC (relevant to my South African remit)
My mantra / philosophy is:
Be yourself
I got into advertising/ad tech/marketing etc because:
Firstly, I did a marketing degree as it was a broad enough university course for an indecisive teenager. Fortunately, I fell into ad tech years later by doing a six week holiday cover stint at an affiliate marketing company. In true start-up style the office was located at a back room of a house in suburban Golders Green, London.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Rally car driver
In five years' time I'll be:
Five years younger, celebrating 10 years at Exponential with an impressive raft of air miles.
Define your job in one word:
Rewarding
What's your poison:
Pacific Ale, from Stone & Wood Brewery
Check out the related links below for more profiles.
Want to take part in Industry Insights or have some one to nominate? Email pippachambers@yaffa.com.au
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