Meeting of the Minds brings together two different points of view from an industry rookie and an experienced expert.
The Mediaweek series aims to showcase their diverse perspectives, thoughts and opinions.
This week’s Meeting of the Minds sees Imran Masood and Jisoo Kim from DoubleVerify reveal their leadership heroes, current streaming binge and career goals.
Imran Masood, Country Manager ANZ, DoubleVerify
Best career advice – Stay true to your values. Passion and resilience will lead to opportunity – thanks for the wise words and inspiration Kim Perell!
My favourite podcast/read – I loved reading Kerry Packer and Murdoch’s autobiography when I moved to Australia from Ireland in 2009. At the time, it provided me with a proxy for the foundations of the Aussie media and advertising industry. So much has changed now. I also loved reading ‘Marching Powder’ by Rusty Young and ‘The White Tiger’ by Aravind Adiga while backpacking through Asia on my way to Australia back in 2009.
Currently I’m all over the Headway App, and listening to: Happiness is the Way; How Children Succeed; Wolf Pack; Rich Dad Poor Dad; The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Current streaming binge – Morning Wars on Apple. I’m finding the implied politics inside media companies interesting.
Leadership hero – Sir Richard Branson. He has an amazing life story and very colorful life experiences that have led him to where he is now. Exemplifies passion and resilience.
I wish someone had told me – ‘It’s ok to be over beer!’
Guilty content pleasure – Without a doubt pretty much any Rugby Union highlights reels of Jonah Lomu, Brian O’Driscoll or Ireland winning. The YouTube Party Playlist in the Office is a close second – I love the 80’s, 90’s and 00’s music videos… thanks MTV!
Best training course/session – Not directly work related, but character building. Randwick Rugby Clubs Pre-Season Coogee stairs and The Clovelly Run-Swim sessions at 7.30am on Saturday mornings.
Your mentor – I never really had a mentor. Over the years I’ve been lucky to have developed life-long friendships with some colleagues and managers who I have a huge amount of respect for in Ireland, England, US and Australia. I’d probably call them a mix of mentor, councilor, and confidant! Matt Williams, (The late) Sam Smith, Matt Hunt, and Chris Levings to name a few.
Hot medium or show – Rugby World Cup 2023 and Ted Lasso.
Favourite media event – Cannes Lions – aside from the amazing creative work on display from around the world from our industry, it’s a destination that provides the highest level of content from visionaries, through to innovation and thought leadership, as well an an opportunity to reconnect with our global industry network to build a stronger, safer and more secure future in advertising.
Wish I’d done that – Gone to the Rugby World Cup in France this year.
Career goal for the new year – Maintain a healthy work-life balance to make every moment count together with our amazingly passionate and talented team at DoubleVerify. And ensure I don’t miss my turn to run the sausage sizzle at my boys’ Rugby Club.
Jisoo Kim, Account Manager – Sydney, DoubleVerify
Best career advice – Anxiety from wanting to be perfect leads to procrastination. Trying to remind myself daily that perfection can be a slippery goal, and it’s often the process that brings the most significant progress. And not letting the fear of making mistakes hold me back and hinder my progress, rather learn from these experiences and use them to grow.
My favourite podcast/read – I love the book ‘Me talk pretty one day’ by David Sedaris. Perfect pick-me-up when you need a good laugh, full of funny and clever observations on ordinary aspects of life.
Current streaming binge – ‘Lucky Hank ft. Bob Odenkirk’ on Stan . Found it really relatable with the main character trying to balance family, friendship and work; but also hilarious. A bit of a slow burner, but if you like a show with great character development and dark humor you would enjoy this.
Leadership hero – In my short-ish career within the industry, I got to work with a few inspiring leadership teams. Their ability to empower others and lead with humility is deeply motivating.
I wish someone had told me – To follow my passion and not just settle for a career for the sake of it.
Guilty content pleasure – One day I came across an eclectic cat trainer, Jackson Galaxy, on YouTube. Highly recommend checking him out.
Best training course/session – In a sea of all the specialised trainings available within the industry (perks of being in media!), I find that I take the most away from courses that provide practical materials allowing me to apply what I’ve learned.
Your mentor – I have yet to find myself a mentor but I do work with an incredible team. They constantly inspire me to be better and there are so many valuable opportunities to learn from their knowledge and experiences. It’s like having a ‘mentorship’ within the team.
Hot medium or show – Reddit.
Favourite media event – Any event where I get to meet and spend time with different people in the industry. I personally really enjoy getting to know everyone, not just for a professional relationship, but also on a personal level. I find it rewarding to connect with each one on a more personal level – discovering everyone’s stories, interests and quirks makes work more fun and interesting.
Wish I’d done that – Traveled around Australia when I first moved here!
Career goal for the new year – Focus on my passion and explore how I can leverage it to increase my value and create a more meaningful and impactful path forward.
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Top image: Meeting of the Minds – Imran Masood and Jisoo Kim