Lisa Haskins, VidMob – A finalist in the Expleo WMB Woman in Technology Award category

2nd May 2022

As our WMB Conference & Awards fast approaches, here we introduce you to Lisa Haskins, VidMob – a finalist in the Expleo WMB Woman in Technology Award category.

Ultimately there will be one winner in each of our five Award categories, to be announced at our Conference & Awards on May 16th.  If you’d like to attend our Conference & Awards, you can book now>>

 

Title and Company Name

Director of Marketing and Operations EMEA & APAC, VidMob.

Sector & size of operation

AdTech; 400 people globally. I lead operations and marketing for a team of 35 across EMEA and APAC.

You originally hail from?

Clondalkin, Dublin

Single or relationship?

Got engaged last year and expecting my first baby girl this year.

What is the best part of your job?

Working with great people in a great culture is the obvious and definitely best part of my job.

Everyone is encouraged to assist, be mentors and leaders in their own way and a cross functional culture is something very much pushed and valued.

And the most challenging?

Cultural differences – difference between US and EMEA.

While the US has its own challenges and cultural differences it’s not quite as diverse. EMEA is a much tougher landscape in my opinion. The number one challenge being language barriers followed by cultural differences you need to swiftly adapt to on top of different banking structure, methods of payments, regulations, Brexit, feedback trends in that some cultures are more direct than others and that’s how they like to be managed. I think anyone trying to open up a company within this region truly needs to understand the nuances and be capable of adapting when it makes sense.

Your definition of success?

Where you are on the scale of your own happiness and state of content.

I think the road to success is in doing something that makes you happy, and something that you enjoy. However, it is also about opening yourself up to new challenges that enable you to grow and develop.

Best trait

Curiosity

Worst trait

Impatience

Biggest ‘win’ to date?

If I had to pick one related to my role at VidMonb it would be that I developed a new foundation for the ever-so-complicated Gaming vertical which is currently being used globally today and has assisted a large change in our product and overall go-to-market strategy. This foundation involved a whole new sub category in Gaming for VidMob. I also included a unique pricing strategy for our advanced performance marketers/gaming marketers.

Who inspires you most?

I promise you this is genuine and not me ‘kissing up’. But I would need to say VidMob’s Co-Founder and CEO Alex Collmer. He has been a mentor to me since I joined and I still look up to him. His love for our product is overshadowed by his love for the culture and people who work at VidMob. He has the type of knowledge and heart I hope to one day have as a leader.

Name two things on your ‘bucket list’

Become a Founder and CEO of my own company.

Develop a fundamental and truly impactful way in which I can continuously assist our next generation of men and women.

What does it mean for you to be a woman in business today?

I hope I have a different answer for you next year or in the next 5 years. But right now, at this moment in time, it means hard work, proving your worth and responsibility.

I think about this a lot more today as I have a daughter on the way. Before, I honestly rarely thought about it. Whether you like it or not, a woman in business today is responsible for breaking traditional views and putting out a hand to bring other women into the crowd of men.

If there is a diversity issue it’s my responsibility to raise awareness of it; because if not me then who.

While we are growing in numbers at certain levels in business, when you get to the executive suite it’s literally a case of “Where’s all the women at!?”

Best advice to pass on.

There will be a lot of people giving you advice over the years, some will sound kind but truthfully want to ‘put you back in your box’ so to speak. In the smartest way you can think of, respectfully challenge them and question everything. I get that not everyone has this freedom, some people struggle to put food on the table and have a boss with a ‘you’re fired’ reflex! But over time listening and learning who you want to be and more importantly who you don’t want to be;

there will come leaders who challenge you in a way that keeps you interested, excited and motivated. Leaders who see you and want to evolve you. Lean on those people, whoever they are and make them your mentors