Before news of TubeMogul’s IPO plans emerged this week, we profiled its MD, Nick Reid.
Our ‘Profile: A Day in the Life of’ feature takes a look at some of the global professionals working across performance marketing. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the flourishing industry.
Name:
Nick Reid
Job title and company:
Managing Director, TubeMogul
In one sentence, how would you describe what the company does?
TubeMogul is an enterprise software company for digital branding that puts advertisers in control; our software helps brands and agencies launch sophisticated, scalable digital video advertising campaigns – onto any digital device – within minutes.
What are the company’s unique selling points?
TubeMogul is a leader in programmatic brand marketing. Some of the world’s largest brands and agencies centralise their video advertising on TubeMogul’s self-serve platform. Created specifically for brand marketers, TubeMogul enables the execution of sophisticated video advertising campaigns, while providing the measurability and accountability marketers demand.
Within the last six months/year, what stands out as the company’s major milestones?
TubeMogul premiered BrandPoint, a powerful product that enables brands and agencies to accurately buy digital video advertising on a cost per gross rating point (GRP) basis. The first of its kind, BrandPoint breaks down the traditional silo between agency TV and digital teams, enabling them to plan, buy, measure, and compare video across multiple screens.
TubeMogul initiated and built the OpenVV Consortium. Backed by the IAB and MRC, we are pioneering the industry when it comes to giving agencies and clients control and visibility around video viewability.
As a business we are expanding globally, with the goal of becoming the market leader in programmatic branding and a leader in video advertising generally.
Duration in current role:
10 months
Where are you based?
London, UK
Previous performance marketing-related Co’s you have worked at:
IgnitionOne, AdJug and Mindshare
What are your main job responsibilities?
I am responsible for the development and growth of TubeMogul’s business in the UK and Europe. As such, I am tasked with leading and managing the current team and ensuring we continue to develop both world-class personnel as well as strong long-term client partnerships.
Take us through what you get up to on a typical working Monday:
Monday is very much about setting up the coming week, and starts with reviewing where we are from both a business and team perspective. This means the whole day is focused with 1:1 staff catch-ups, team meetings and calls with senior colleagues at our California headquarters.
I try not to wake up my two kids every morning as I leave the house by 6:15am. On the train, I’ll catch up with any emails which have come over on Sunday night and make sure I know the agenda for the day. I walk from the station across Waterloo Bridge and up to our offices in Covent Garden each day. It’s a wonderful way to see London in its early morning glory and to collect my thoughts.
My first 1:1 is with Hugh Munro, our platform sales lead. This is very much about building long-term partnerships with our customers, who are traditionally agencies and trading desks across both the UK and Europe. Next I meet with Graeme Lynch, who joined at the beginning of the year to lead our business development and publishing department. A new and key role, his focus is on publisher relationships from a programmatic direct perspective – a frequently increasing requirement from our main buy-side customers.
Next is lunch: a trusted Pho soup. We recently moved into new offices just in between Covent Garden and Kingsway and there is an excellent Vietnamese restaurant that provides a fantastic array of health and spice – always needed on a Monday.
Then it’s back to more internal catch-ups, next with Ian Monaghan our head of operations. Ian has been with TubeMogul since the company first started, originally as an intern in our California office. He came over to the UK in 2012 and now leads the operations side of the business. He is slowly turning into more and more an Anglophile, mainly driven by his love of British pubs, food and beer.
At 4pm, it’s the weekly sales meeting, when the commercial team comes together to discuss the state of the market, our customers and upcoming opportunities. This is always a lively debate, driven by the competitive nature and ambition of a sales team.
5pm is my weekly call with the global sales leadership team, involving all of our offices worldwide. The main challenge is keeping focused and making sure we utilise the time well. With so much going on across all of the various markets, the blend of common themes and local nuances underscores what an incredibly interesting time it is to be in the programmatic video space.
What top three websites can you be found browsing during your lunch hour?
Nowadays, I find I have limited opportunity to search and browse; as a godsend, I spend a lot of time reading The Drum updates, RTM Daily, AdExchanger and ExchangeWire. One always needs The Times app for real-world updates on things of global import. Then it’s BA.com trying to work out the location of my next flight, or Waitrose.co.uk for what I’m eating next.
What are your top three tips for someone looking to get their hands on a job like yours?
- Do what you say
- Make it happen
- Do a lot with a little
Career-wise, where do you see yourself in three years time?
Continuing to work for TubeMogul and establishing how to develop and grow new markets across EMEA. I feel lucky to be continuously challenged in my role and business, with more and more developing opportunities for success and progression. As the programmatic branding space evolves and EMEA markets grow, businesses with foresight and ambition will be unlimited.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
My son was born a year to the day after I was run over by a car in America – February 28 2008.