A Day in the Life: Programmatic Manager

Next in our series of insights into the lives of our crack team of advertising experts is our Programmatic Manager, Chris. From joining us as a graduate to working on the world's first Programmatic Market Place for gaming, there is no better example of the career potential offered at Venatus. 

What did you want to do when you were a child?

I studied financial economy at University but ultimately, I decided that I preferred something more exciting as a career.

What made you decide to pursue a career in programmatic advertising?

The short answer is I didn’t – programmatic did not exist when I started in the industry so watching it evolve has been interesting. I pursued a career that combined working with numbers and gaming, which I love, and it has led me to this young and vibrant industry that is full of challenges.

What did you do before joining Venatus?

I joined Venatus through their graduate scheme when I left university and have worked my way up from an Ad Operations Executive.

Did you need any training?

I’m lucky to have been able to access a lot of training on the job but being passionate about games has definitely helped at Venatus. I love Call of Duty so being part of a team who advertise that series and are coming up with new ways to engage that audience is very exciting.  

Please describe a typical day in your role:

On any given day, I start by checking all the data about the previous day and week, getting a general idea of how each deal is performing. I have the chance to work across the whole business, helping clients, managing some of the Ad Operations team and supporting Business Development when they onboard publishers, so I see all the pieces come together. Outside of work I really enjoy judo and the core principle of taking control over chaos is very relevant to programmatic.

Perhaps the most important thing I do is look at ways to increase the yields for our publishers. Representing the world-class publishers that we do is a key part of Venatus’s offering so we like to keep them happy.

What do you like best about being our Programmatic Manager?

It is not always straight forward, this is an area that did not exist two years ago and now constantly changes. Working in programmatic is a bit like being a detective because a lot of the work involves solving campaign issues as and when they arise. You don’t get the big whodunnit reveal but knowing that a campaign has run smoothly is very satisfying.

What is the best piece of professional advice you have ever been given?

Keep learning – the world is always changing and you need to be ready to grow with it.

If you are interested in joining Venatus please visit www.venatusmedia.com/careers