Nic Nasrallah.
In this series, AdNews spotlights young talent in the Australian media, marketing and advertising sector. This time it's GumGum's senior business development manager Nic Nasrallah.
Time in current role / Time at the company
I’ve been with GumGum in the Melbourne office for just under a year and a half now!
How long have you been in the industry?
A quick look at my LinkedIn gave me a little shock, I’ve officially clocked 8.5 years in the industry. Time flies when you're having fun, right?
How did you get here?
People often tell me my journey has been back to front. I started at the Nissan Head Office back in 2017, knowing very little about the broader media landscape at the time, and was lucky enough to work with some of the best in the industry. From there, I spent four years agency-side at Dentsu, working across a diverse and extremely rewarding portfolio including GMSV, L’Oreal, and Medibank/ahm. Most recently, I made the jump into sales, first with Gumtree and now here at GumGum.
Was this always the plan?
Like many of us, I didn't actually know "Media" was a career path until it was right in front of me. I always gravitated toward creative and strategic subjects in school and Uni, so Marketing felt like the logical step. I haven't really looked back since, our industry is so diverse and there’s so many options, take me for instance; starting client-side, moving to agency, now in ad tech, there's no guard rails and I think that’s so unique to what we do.
Who is your right-hand person / Who guides you day-to-day?
I’m lucky to be surrounded by countless incredible people. Personally, my family and my partner are my anchors. Professionally, I’ve had some brilliant mentors at every stop of my career, they know who they are, and I wouldn't be where I am without their guidance. Without inflating their heads larger than they need to be, and keeping their identities out of the spotlight, some initials that come to mind are: CA, TM, MC, SB, JD, JC, HL & CB.
What’s the best thing about the industry you work in?
For me, it’s the blend of logic and creativity. I love the transition from being deep in the data to visualising and working with our amazing design team to create those ‘wow’ moments for the viewer. Solving complex business problems with creative solutions is extremely rewarding, nine times out of ten, there IS a better, more fun way to get there and that always keeps me motivated.
And the biggest challenge?
Summarised in one word, probably ‘Balance’. Everything we do has the constant tension between logic and magic, personal opinions and professional ones, AI and human approaches. It’s finding the equilibrium between being efficient vs. effective. Scale often lacks Soul, but Yin and Yang is everywhere in this industry; in my opinion harmony is only met when we find the perfect balance between them.
Whose job have you set your sights on in the future?
This might surprise some, but probably not those who know me well: Chris Davis, the Brand President & CMO of New Balance. I may or may not have a wardrobe full of sneakers, mostly NBs.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Sports haven't provided much inspiration lately, being an Essendon and Tottenham fan has been a tough slog. Instead, I tend to look back at Virgil Abloh. From a master degree in Architecture to DJing to leading Louis Vuitton creative direction, all whilst collaborating with the likes of Nike, Mercedes and IKEA, he bridged worlds no one thought belonged together. I try to live by two of his mantras: 'Life is too short to subscribe to what someone thinks you can do' and 'Everything I do is for my 17-year-old self.' They are constant reminders to ignore the 'rules' and stay authentic to what you think.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I was once an extra on a Foxtel show called Open Slather. I appeared in three episodes in total, but the highlight (or lowlight) was definitely the episode where I spent the entire time wrapped head-to-toe in cloth playing a Mummy. Still waiting for my call up for ‘The Mummy 4’.
In five years' time I'll be...
Exactly where I need to be.
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