Employee Spotlight: Andrew Church

We’re continuing our Employee Spotlight series with Andrew Church, Commercial Director at Publisher Collective.

Learn about Andrew’s varied day-to-day role, what drives him as a leader, and how a passion for publishing, advertising and gaming has shaped his career journey.

1. Starting with your role, what does a typical day look like for you here?

My role is pretty eclectic so not all days are the same, however I like to begin the day with some exercise, swiftly followed by a strong coffee! I start a little early during which time I prioritise my tasks and plan the day ahead. I then attend various morning huddles before starting the bulk of the day during which my time is divided between assisting the team such as attending external publisher calls, to attending internal cross department meetings during which we discuss process improvements and ways in which we can maximise revenues and UX for our publishers.

2. What’s your favourite part of your role and why?

I love meeting people whether that’s a colleague or client IRL. Maybe I’m old school but I don't think you can beat a good face to face meeting. I also get great satisfaction from seeing Publisher Collective in some cases providing life changing results to our clients businesses and delivering on our promises. Finally I love to see my team members and colleagues develop and succeed in their roles.

‍

3. How has your career path evolved? Was this industry always the goal or has it been a journey?

I’ve always had a keen interest in advertising, liked to read and loved video games. My first “real”  job started in book manufacturing, where I worked on the Harry Potter books (wish I had known to have kept a first edition or two)! I then moved to magazine and now web publisher Future, where I got to indulge my passion for gaming and work on the likes of Official Playstation Magazine and the launch of PCGamer.com. This ultimately led me to Publisher Collective where I have been for the past 8 years, and continue to enjoy the world of publishing, advertising and gaming.

‍

4. Who or what inspires you professionally, or in general?

I take inspiration from great leaders and especially those in sport. There’s a brilliant podcast I recommend called High Performance, in which elite guests from sports stars, coaches and business leaders are interviewed to uncover their non-negotiable behaviours and mindsets required for success.  One episode that I’ve listened to multiple times is that of the current Bath Rugby coach Johann Van Gran. He took the same group of players and in a matter of just a few years turned them from a bottom of the table team to a treble winning side. There are so many lessons from this that I apply to my day to day work. For example - never too high, never too low!

‍

5. What skill, habit, or mindset do you think is essential to have as a leader?

My mindset: Be yourself, be comfortable with who you are and back yourself. Oh and treat everyone the same as I would want to be treated.

‍

6. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone considering a career in your field?

You have to be tenacious and resilient. It's hard to cut through and make contact with the right people, and you get ignored - a lot! So not giving up and providing genuine reasons why we add value to a potential partner is key. I’d also say being open to change is important as our industry evolves quickly, and keeping up on the latest trends help us to better serve our publishers. For example, check out our recent blog on ad-related Bots and why they should access your website.

‍

7. If you could describe your team in three words, what would they be?

Dedicated, Knowledgeable and Collaborative

8. How do you support and develop the people on your team?

My job is to provide my team with the leadership, strategy, structure and tools they need to be successful and effective. For example, if a process is broken, I’ll fix it for them. If they need training in a certain area I’ll arrange it and if they need advice, I like to think I’m always there for them. I like to empower my team and create multiple opportunities for them to give feedback on what’s working and what’s not, and importantly listen to their ideas for improvement and where possible implement them.

‍

9. What personal accomplishment are you most proud of?

Can I pick two!? I was once short listed for the UK young engineer of the year award as a result of my GCSE project. Career wise, I was awarded Sales Person of the year during my time at Future Publishing, which meant a lot considering the talented sales professionals I worked alongside.

‍

10. Do you have any pets? If you don’t have any, what would your perfect weekend look like?

No pets at the moment however I would love a Golden Retriever or Lab one day! A perfect weekend would involve a round of golf, supporting Bath Rugby, good food and spending time with friends and family.