Talk us through an average day in your role
One of the unique things about being the CEO of a small company is that there is no average day. Everyone in the company is called upon to fulfil multiple roles depending on the need of the day. For me, this can include sales, marketing, partnership development, strategy development, or even contract review. However, the most important thing, even in a small company, is to ensure that the company is aligned and everyone is aware and bought into the company direction, and feels that they have an important part to play in the journey. So a significant part of my week is also spent on internal discussions, whether one-on-ones or with the Media Excel team to make sure we are discussing key initiatives and issues and everyone has a chance to have their voice be heard.
How did you get started in the media industry?
The first company I worked for in the media industry was Tandberg TV. I started on the engineering side running the QA and system engineering teams for the SW division of the business. Over the last two decades, as Tandberg was acquired by Ericsson and then Ericsson continued to acquire a number of other media companies, I have had the fortune of being exposed to a number of roles touching all parts of our different media businesses.
What training did you have before entering the industry?
Having a technical background is a definite help in this industry. I am an electrical engineer by training, and specialised in semiconductor manufacturing techniques for microelectromechanical devices in graduate school. My initial engineering roles were in the telecoms industry on the transport side, which I would consider media industry adjacent. However, the media industry is so dynamic that I think the most important skills are the ability to be able to learn continuously and the willingness to challenge oneself to think beyond convention.
Why do you enjoy working in the industry?
First, the industry presents challenges for companies of every size, and is one of the few industries where size and scale do not always play to an organisation’s advantage. So a smaller company can deliver really consequential solutions to Fortune 500 companies, like we have in our history at Media Excel. Second, our industry is so dynamic that you cannot rely on only conventional wisdom to succeed. This makes our business very interesting and to be a successful company you have to be willing to think differently about both your strategy and execution and embrace continuous problem solving. Last, and definitely not least, I have been very fortunate to work with teams of genuinely good and brilliant people who have been very generous with their knowledge and experiences.
What piece of advice would you offer someone looking to explore a role similar to yours?
As a leader, you must have a point of view and an ability to communicate a vision that supports that point of view. You must also enjoy the process of being a hands-on coach, recognising that you can only be your best when you bring along others with you, and embrace the differences along with the similarities that can make you a stronger team.
