Group Commercial Director QLD at Crocmedia

Background

Crocmedia is a multi-platform content and entertainment group of companies with the unique capability to deliver brand stories to national audiences across Australia. Their  commitment to create bespoke communications for each specific market sets them apart and is unique in the communications industry.

Crocmedia are the largest syndicator of sports radio content across Australia.  They broadcast all the action from Australia’s favourite sports with shows including AFL Nation, NAB AFL Trade Radio, Football Nation, NRL Nation, Big Bash Nation, Sportsday, Off The Bench, Reel Adventures, The Driver’s Seat and TV shows including Future Stars, Women’s Footy, Footy SA and Footy WA. Crocmedia also produce native podcasts including The Sounding Board and Don’t Shoot the Messenger.

 

The Role

This role leads, motivates and manages the the Sales Team to achieve revenue budgets for Crocmedia in Queensland. The role establishes and services the Queensland client base to be the benchmark in deliverables, service and communication. In management and servicing of assigned agencies, the successful candidate will be the media partner of choice for due to high level of service, communication and deliverables to clients. The objective is to be known by media agencies as a reliable and solid partner for their clients. The successful candidate will have a history of demonstrating regular introduction and conversion of new businesses, as sourcing and securing new commercial partners for Crocmedia is a primary responsibility of the role.

The role will work cohesively with the entire sales team both with communication, creative ideas and team building initiatives. The successful candidate will be a leading example to all sales staff, including sharing all information that will assist with presenting to clients or improving sales techniques.

 

Expressions of interest, which may include a covering letter and CV, should be emailed to julieanne@bkdexecutiveleaders.com

 

So what was that S P A C E Series thing all about?

In my first weeks with BKD Executive Leaders I undertook one of our own company’s services, a Psychometric test, with our Executive Director Rob Kerr (PhD) so that I could experience and understand the service intimately. The resulting profile suggested, among other things, that I was “a radical thinker, [who will] look beyond the obvious, searching for the new and unconventional.” So, it was perhaps little surprise to Rob that one of my first ‘expense’ requests as an executive recruiter was a trip to Byron Bay for S P A C E series. Luckily, I had joined a company who saw opportunity and possibility in the unknown.

 

Space Series promoted itself as “A community of disruptive leaders coming together in Byron Bay for three nights to disconnect, collaborate, and create in one of the most inspiring locations on earth.” For me personally, a few months into my new role as Industry Lead for Media & Marketing at BKD Executive Leaders, meant that I was keen to explore the possibility and potential of this event from both a connections perspective but also a bubble-burster. After having been in media for over 15 years I just yearned for some topics and conversations outside ‘my world’. I love my industry but with a recent shift from working ‘in’ it, to servicing it through executive recruitment, it was important for me to shift my perspective… with action. I applied. That’s right, no one could just ‘buy’ a ticket to this event, applicants underwent a phone screener to assess their suitability to the event goal towards making a more ambitious Australia through shared ideas and collaboration.

 

The fact that the content and description of this event was relatively loose… as in, hard to explain if someone was to ask you what it’s all about (something that would normally annoy me) actually made it more attractive at this point… anything was going to be possible content-wise – and if 200 other guests were also thinking this way, well I figured that could make for a pretty unique experience. Or as I found most people were thinking beforehand, s p a c e was either going to be absolutely awesome or a complete F*ing disaster.

 

The buzz began at the airport in Melbourne where… you could kind of tell if someone sitting at the gate was headed to Space Series. This is hard to explain but as people were preparing to fly into the unknown, they had a shared ‘sparkle’ of enthusiasm in their eye, they were ‘smiley’ (open) and just vibing for lack of a better term. They were clearly ‘space cadets’. In the weeks prior to lift off we were sent snippits of other attendees profiles, not so much their occupations, but what they were doing on the planet (somewhat daunting for someone like me who’s been ‘doing’ advertising for 15 years and arguably not contributing much to the planet beyond brand driven content and partnerships). For example, I read one of the guests was using her senior citizen silent discos to help fight dementia. Another re-designing the integration of life and work. Another maintaining a healthy sex life after 70.

 

 

There was a lot of pressure on the launch night. We all had our eager, ‘ready’ faces on… for the event organisers who’d kept a fair bit of info close to their chest it was game time. Make or break. Plenty of mishaps tried to break it – sideways rain into the event tent space, speakers and electronics shorting out… but as the pre-show energy continued to lift, despite these faults, it became clear that one thing had been very carefully and strategically nailed… the people at this event. A guest lift of positive, influential, open-minded, leading people of all ages and walks of life rallied their support behind the organisers and I would argue literally created the energy that saw the electronics and speakers re engage in a crucial climactic moment of CJ Holden’s welcoming speech. Yes. This was going to be a good event. We could all exhale.

 

The event content itself was ‘brought by the people’, that is to say, all 200 attendees had to contribute their discussion, workshop or story topic. Other than some rather sensational pre-organised entertainment (a blind, sensory, dinner experience guided by Yuma Decaux a 3D artist who lost his sight to a firework in Bali to Isabella Manfredi’s first ever solo performance of original music outside her band The Preatures to nightly music vibes by Mykel Dixon & Phil Cebrano), this was the content of the event. We were the content. On the first morning there was a board of empty schedule spots (like a hospital OR schedule) and people literally pinned their topic post-it to the wall. What did this mean? A helluva spectrum of content and options. Here are a handful of the 200 topics to give you a sense of that diversity;

“It’s ok to not have kids these days, isn’t it”

“Creativity can Change the World, Lessons from a Life in Africa”.

“Giving the finger to convention”

“Would you Marry a Robot”

“Global Village – Designing the Community We Want”

“What the Hell is Your Child Talking About – A Conversation with the Next Generation”

“Bio Hacking our way to happiness with micro dosing”

“It’s 2100. AI has created a jobless world – find our meaning”

 

A broad spectrum meant for broad quality. Some sessions exceptional, mind-cracking and robust – leaving me with a feeling of needing more (and taking real action since returning home) – some sessions not quite what was expected (in some instances, I found titles were almost ‘click bait’ to draw a crowd, when the actual content was focussed elsewhere). I’d suggest the event organisers would see content curation as an opportunity for next year – not to change topics but rather ensure they were the best they could be, and pitched accordingly. No matter what though – conversations were robust. Whether it was a youth lobbyist (yes an actual young person) challenging someone from an older generation on their stereotyping or a leading business professional’s jaw literally dropping at learning about a world of micro-dosing they never even knew existed… you could see barriers coming down everywhere and I suppose that is the centre-point for change and progress. Understanding the world outside our own bubble.

I personally spoke about ageism in my industry, a topic I’ve always had an eye on that’s been supercharged since officially stepping into recruitment. It was unbelievably powerful having a CEO or two speak up, taking ownership for their own contribution to this issue – while another attendee shared learnings, strategies and benefits of specifically hiring more experienced people with years of experience under their belt. We all learned through each other.

 

More than anything, the cadet guide point to ‘leave your job at the door’ made this experience deeper in its authentic networking connectivity. We in fact burned a structure with all our names and titles on it. As a guest you got to know fellow space cadets by the sessions you saw them in, their points of view, how they approached challenging group discussions when they held a differing point of view… you got to like people (or decide they weren’t necessarily your cup of tea) for who they were, not what they did. For the most part, only on the final night when people were starting to swap details did you come to realise how people spent their nine-to-five… and making those realisations was absolutely fascinating. I literally got told “wow, I would never have thought you were an executive recruiter” (I chose to take it as a compliment). For me, that experience felt like being in year twelve and going around asking my friends what they’d decided to be after their careers counselling sessions, an anaesthesiologist, an educator, a politician? No way! Amazing! Only then did I start to grasp the gravity of the influence at the event.

So would I go again? Absolutely. Because any time we’re having progressive conversations, looking beyond the obvious, outside our industry and bubble, is a time for learning and growth, a time for perception shifting and ego smashing … is a time I will make s p a c e for.

 

At the beginning of this piece I mentioned BKD’s Psychometric testing service. BKD offers psychometric testing to provide a more objective assessment of personality than is normally possible from a typical interview… it can also teach you a lot about your self, which can be used proactively in interviews and career development. Get in touch for more details connect@bkdexecutiveleaders.com.au

Creative Director – In House Content Agency

This is the Senior creative role within a new, in house, content agency being launched within a major tech based publisher. The Creative Director (Content) will create and drive content ideation, delivering content solutions that generate value and performance based results for key corporate clients.

Working with the content producer and client solutions lead (who represents key corporate clients via the commercial team), the Creative Director will be responsible for the creative vision and the delivery of successful, results based, content outcomes. This will mostly involve the creative direction of video content but will also include website articles (with graphics), photos, graphics and audio.

 

Key responsibilities and role requirements;

  • Strong understanding of the creative process and the ability to harness the passion associated with this process
  • Proven ability to manage a number of projects from conception to delivery through prioritizing and strong planning skills
  • Bring strategic insight and direction to pitches and internal communications
  • Create a culture of curiosity which keeps the team on top of trends and best practice resulting in industry leading content production.
  • Introduce new tech, with a view to proactively and reactively addressing client need,
  • Defines deliverable, performance-based, client objectives and sets standards of excellence for all creative output
  • Ability to work with graphic design and publication design software
  • Highly effective managerial and interpersonal skills that will translate to exceptional team leadership and a consistent level of service and creative output from the in-house agency

 

The successful candidate will have at least 3 years experience in a similar creative director position. The role will suit a resilient professional who is motivated by a fast paced environment.

 

This role is based in Melbourne.

 

Expressions of interest which may include a cover letter and CV should be emailed to julieanne@bkdexecutiveleaders.com

“Leadership Lessons from the Little League” Guest Post by Alastair McCausland, CMO

Picture this. You’re standing in front of 22 people all looking at you for direction. Some are naturally talented and are ready to go in to battle for you. Others are eager but lack the skills they need.

 

You’ve done your preparation and know the message you want to get across, but you’ve got some doubts in tour head. You’ve never actually done their role and lack the exact skills you need them to execute.

To make matters worse, not only is it the 22 people in your team who are waiting for your address, they also have their parents and grandparents here to see them succeed.

As you may have guessed, we’re not talking about a boardroom address but the far more challenging and fulfilling role as the coach of a junior sporting team.

Whilst many people might not see the link to business and our ‘real jobs’, personally my role as a junior football coach has taught me many leadership lessons that have helped me become a far more confident and ultimately successful corporate leader.

 

Let’s start at the start.

 

Building a high performing team

Starting with a group of 22 kids from 3 different school groups is much like the challenge we have in our day jobs. We need to bring together a group of individuals, who might not know each other, have little in common and have varying strengths and development areas.

On the football ground this is easy to identify. Who is struggling with the required functional skills like kicking or marking? Who isn’t a team player and tries to win the game off their own boot? Where are the natural cliques and who are the players yet to fit in with the rest of the team?

Whilst this may be harder to notice in the work environment, the same lessons apply to identify and address.

Spend the one on one time with team members to see their work up close so you can understand the functional skills you need to help them with.

Develop a shared team vision that everyone buys into and is playing for. Spend the time building a cohesive and engaged team with fun activities that build genuine connection.

Understand that different team members require a different management approach and a myopic message to the collective won’t be successful. Spend quality one on one time with the team to build them as individuals knowing that this investment will deliver in spades for the team goal.

Finally, make the success metrics crystal clear so everyone understands what they’re playing for and what their individual tasks need to achieve.

 

Manage a simple message

We’ve all been guilty of over complicating a message and having it fail to resonate.

Try having two minutes to bring your team together, get them to switch positions, rehydrate, provide feedback on the previous period of play before instructing them on what to focus on in the next. Clearly there is a need to be very efficient and effective with your message.

Especially for a group of under 10’s, now is not the time for any Churchill inspired ‘we’ll fight them on the beaches’ style speeches. Rather we need a simple message of 2-3 things that everyone can understand and act on: “Kick it long and wide” “Move the ball fast” “First to the ball”. These are those tasks that when executed well, will deliver on the longer term vision, in this case winning (not that we technically score in under 10’s, but try telling that to the kids!)

Taking this scenario in to work life helps us realise the importance of regular and simple performance messaging. Those working with an agile methodology are already doing this via regular huddles to address immediate requirements.

The idea of a quarter or half time break is something that could benefit most workplaces. In an incredibly fast paced work environment, taking the time to stop and check to see if plans are on track and what we need to change to deliver on the longer-term goal.

Similarly, the importance of the simple messages for what needs to be done today, tomorrow and this week will break down the bigger corporate goals in to something everyone can understand and individually impact.

 

 

Follow what I say not what I do

As touched on earlier, whilst I’m the coach of the football team, I never actually played the game, so often I feel like a bit of an imposter instructing them to do.

This is similar for how many of us may feel in a work sense, especially as we move in to more generalist management roles. Coming from a specific background but now managing a group of different functional leaders is something that presents its fair share of challenges and self-doubt. I’m sure we’ve all had times where we question ourselves asking the accountant or engineer to do something when we have no background in these fields.

Thankfully the AFL, the area I coach in, has a very strong focus of coaching development that all coaches are required to undertake. Through face to face and online training, we’re provided with the relevant skills to be successful as coaches of the players. This isn’t about being able to kick a 50 metre drop punt, or lay a perfect tackle, but rather understand the technical tips to be able to get the kids to do it. From the physical training courses to video and written training guides, we are armed with the skills to be able to pass the skills on (whilst not necessarily being able to be an expert in the skill).

Taking this back to the work environment, a focus on leadership training that provides the leader with the skills to be able to get the best out of their team (vs doing the functional skill themselves), together with a focus on effective communication will ensure the leader is set up for success.

 

Celebrate the little wins, not just the big victory

A major focus for me as a coach is to set up each player and the broader team with specific areas to focus on each match. This gets back to knowing the team and the individual development needs. It may be executing a perfect tackle for a player, or how we move the ball as a team.

When we nail these things, we celebrate them. These are the little wins, that when consistently done well, will set us up for the longer-term victory.

In a work sense this is critical. Often the long-term vision for the business feels out of reach and untenable, but if we find those little things that every person and the broader team can do every day, and then celebrate them, victory will be on the horizon. This may be the quality standards on a job brief, or the team commitment to timeliness of responding to customer enquiries. Do these consistently well and celebrate doing a good job well.

More than anything, it is a huge thrill in seeing the positive impact that you can create for the kids individually and as a team.

Sure, it can be a lot of work but there is no greater sense of achievement you can get as a leader with life lessons that will help you for years to come. So next time there’s an opportunity to get involved, put your hand up and get involved.

 

Guest Post by Alastair McCausland, CMO

 

BKD Executive Leaders create bespoke individual support programs for leaders and emerging leaders, whether that be a coaching or mentoring solution. Utilising an extensive panel of highly successful business leaders, we match individuals to coaches and mentors that provide one on one support dedicated to enhancing the individuals performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earned Media & Stakeholder Manager at Australian Football League

Background

The purpose of the AFL is to progress the game, so everyone can share in its possibilities.

We are Australia’s premier sporting organisation supporting a constantly evolving men’s national competition which has experienced rapid growth over the past 10 years in addition to an important and growing AFLW competition and other key competitions such as AFLX, IRS, VFL, NEAFL and the NAB League. The AFL currently has 650 permanent employees across the five state bodies, AFL Vic, NSW/ACT, QLD, NT, Tasmania and at AFL House. The AFL organisation is responsible for growing and developing Australian Football across Australia and around the world.

 

The Role

Reporting to the Head of Communications, this role is responsible for developing and executing strategic promotional plans that delivers earned media focusing on our target audience segments and markets for key products, projects and initiatives across AFL. The scope includes priorities and projects across AFL, AFLW, AFLX, IRS, Commercial partnerships, International, Game Development, inclusion and diversity.

The primary purpose of this role is to grow audiences, particularly with our target audience segments of Avid fans, Women & Girls, Kids and Multicultural with a focus on non traditional media.

This role will collaborate and influence both internally across multiple departments and externally with key media, influential organisations and other stakeholders with strong planning and communications skills.

This role is based at AFL House, Docklands, Melbourne.

 

Expressions of interest, which may include a covering letter and CV, should be emailed to julieanne@bkdexecutiveleaders.com

 

Social Media Executive at Taboo

Background

Taboo is an experience led full service agency. They are a team of thinkers, makers and entrepreneurs. Taboo works from an understanding that people today are literate, socially-connected and come equipped with strong brand detectors. This has led to the end of the age where customers are happy to take a brand at its word. Taboo have made it their business to understand the invisible lines between interesting and self-interested, and because of this, they’re specialists in earning attention through creating ideas that people actually want to be a part of.

 

The Role (Melbourne)

Working within the Strategy Department, the Social Media Executive will help to implement social and digital strategies across all relevant clients, and help drive, manage and monitor their social channels. They will work alongside creative and account service teams as they produce, present and monitor social content. They will also help the Strategy Team in general as they develop briefs, and as social and digital campaigns are developed and rolled out. This is very much a hands-on-the-tools position.

 

 

Expressions of interest in the role responsibilities and success factors, which may include a covering letter and CV, should be emailed to julieanne@bkdexecutiveleaders.com

Agency Content Producer at Taboo

Background

Taboo is an experience led full service agency. They are a team of thinkers, makers and entrepreneurs. Taboo works from an understanding that people today are literate, socially-connected and come equipped with strong brand detectors. This has led to the end of the age where customers are happy to take a brand at its word. Taboo have made it their business to understand the invisible lines between interesting and self-interested, and because of this, they’re specialists in earning attention through creating ideas that people actually want to be a part of.

 

The Role (Melbourne)

The Content Producer drives and manages the agency’s video & stills content production. The role will report directly into the Senior Producer, and alongside the agency’s event and activation production team.

Key responsibilities:

– Drive and manage all content production – including videography and photography – end to end and in entirety

– Review creative work and allocate external or internal resource to produce that effectively, within a budget and timeline

– Attend and manage shoots

– Drive, manage and source multiple quotes

– Prepare and manage budgets & estimates

– Prepare and manage timelines

– Source and negotiate with talent (including influencers), including the development of contracts

– Work with all relevant agency teams to deliver a clear and constant flow of information, to allow teams to manage clients effectively and avoid any surprises.

-Assist event / activation team if required

– Keep abreast of new directors and suppliers

 

 

Expressions of interest in the role responsibilities and success factors, which may include a covering letter and CV, should be emailed to julieanne@bkdexecutiveleaders.com

Expressions of Interest Close Friday 3rd May

Account Director at Taboo

Background

Taboo is an experience led full service agency. They are a team of thinkers, makers and entrepreneurs. Taboo works from an understanding that people today are literate, socially-connected and come equipped with strong brand detectors. This has led to the end of the age where customers are happy to take a brand at its word. Taboo have made it their business to understand the invisible lines between interesting and self-interested, and because of this, they’re specialists in earning attention through creating ideas that people actually want to be a part of.

 

The Role (Melbourne)

The Account Director (AD) leads a client account, or set of accounts, within the agency, ensuring that they are profitable and creatively exceptional . They are responsible for ensuring that the agency is meeting the client’s needs, working with all the key functions that go into creating the agency’s advertising output. AD’s need to champion great work and to take responsibility for the delivery of a quality creative product that meets the client’s needs and addresses their business problems. They will do so through the effective management of their own team and their ability to lead and inspire others inside and outside the agency. They will regularly be involved in new business pitches, approaching these with both a creative and commercial mindset.

 

 

Expressions of interest in the role responsibilities and success factors, which may include a covering letter and CV, should be emailed to julieanne@bkdexecutiveleaders.com

 

Head of Commercial Outcomes & Partnerships at NewsAmp (NewsCorp)

Background

News Corp Australia is the nation’s largest media company operating over 150 household brands across print, digital and multimedia including The Australian, news.com.au, Kidspot, and body+soul and Vogue, plus innovative media products such as Storyful and Unruly.

They are also proud to be a central part of News Corp, a leading global network of powerful brands including Fox Sports, Dow Jones, Harper Collins, Realestate.com.au and The Wall Street Journal.

 

The Role

Newsamp are responsible for developing best in class integrated media and marketing solutions for our clients.

In this role you will lead the strategic direction & development of custom solutions spanning our vast network by leveraging content, data, research, production, mulit-media platforms & technology applications both on or off the News network.

Reporting to the GM of NewsAmp Victoria, you will unlock an insight and craft strategic outcomes from end to end. Working across key clients and agencies, your key responsibilities will be to:

  • Lead the creation and end-to-end development of custom partnership solutions for clients.
  • Inspire and develop the Commercial Outcomes and Partnerships team, specifically managing the output of insight, strategy, ideas and solutions development across major briefs, proactives and partnership opportunities.
  • Lead ideation; taking our strategy and insight and shaping this into a commercial solution to solve clients business challenges right through to implementation stage.
  • Set commercial and strategic business planning and pipelining across sales portfolios.
  • Run innovation workshops, write leadership pieces and collaborate with internal teams to develop strategically sound commercial opportunities.
  • Lead workflow and prioritisation by ensuring appropriate insights, strategy and solution resources are deployed to support commercially viable opportunities.
  • Drive innovative thinking, challenge the status quo and promote a client-focussed culture across the NewsAmp team and wider business.

 

Expressions of interest, which may include a covering letter and CV, should be emailed to julieanne@bkdexecutiveleaders.com

Applications Close Friday 25th April

Media Manager at Bohemia Group

Background

Bohemia was founded in 2011 to challenge the definition of media, and the function of a media agency. They do this by harnessing the power of media in all its forms to create profitable customer growth for clients.

This is wrapped in a 100% transparent business model that always puts clients first.   What it takes to be a Bohemian Success at Bohemia and as a Bohemian is as much about attitude as it is behaviour.

Bohemia hold themselves and each other accountable to a set of values that have helped shape their culture and made them the happiest media agency in the country. (Source: Media i 2018)

They celebrate the essence of ‘Bohemian’ in their vision to become remarkable. It’s an ambitious vision to create remarkable brands for their clients, create remarkable work for their clients, create a remarkable service culture for their clients and to create a remarkable workplace that they cherish and protect.

As a Bohemian you’re expected to uphold these values, protect them, encourage them and most importantly live them every single day.

The Bohemia Values

  •  Bring A “kid like curiosity” to everything you do.
  • Fiercely protect and celebrate the wondrous and eclectic family we are.
  • Be for blood, sweat & passion
  • Take pride in the work that you do, it’s important.
  • Eat courage for breakfast.
  • Be ambitious, be bold and be daring.

 

The Role

To deliver planning & implementation excellence to Bohemia’s Melbourne based clients in a passionate and positive way. To manage the Media Executives and Coordinators to deliver all planning and investment tasks as per the UNITY Process.

Reporting to the Media Director, and managing direct reports of Media Executives and Co Ordinators, a Media Manager transforms ideas into reality. They make the intangible, tangible, and they turn thinking into being. It’s an enormously important position and demands an equally remarkable person.

A Media Manager, under the leadership of the Media Director, is at the centre of the Bohemian operating system, interfacing with clients, strategists, investment managers, creative, digital specialists, data analysts, PR specialists, publishers, curators and any other stakeholders we need to galvanise around ideas to deliver the desired client outcome.

A Media Manager is curious, passionate, inspired and just a little bit obsessive. This is the critical role that works with media partners to add the Da Vinci Dust to all channels at the planning and implementation phase.

Responsibilities:

The Media team are a collective of senior and experienced Bohemians, who are in the business of driving superior client outcomes.

As a Media Manager at Bohemia you have significant responsibilities, which encompasses a broad range of tasks including development of innovative media strategies through to implementation planning and investment.

You are now at a defining point in your career having client, media and shared management responsibilities across agency disciplines. We are excited to see and expect you to add real value within your team and across the agency. When asked, your clients would say you are proactive.

 

Expressions of interest, which may include a covering letter and CV, should be emailed to julieanne@bkdexecutiveleaders.com

Applications Close Friday 25th April