Aicha Srour, international group sales director at Undertone EMEA, is still looking for the perfect work/beach-life balance.

1 – Summarise yourself in three words. 

“Determined, prankster, resilient.”

2 – What made you want to pursue a career in media and marketing?

“As a child, I dreamt of having a job that enabled you to ‘do business’ over coffee and not be stuck at a desk all day. Working in media enables the perfect combination of being able to flex your creative muscle, work in a truly fun, vibrant atmosphere and constantly be at the heart of technological shifts.

“Media is changing all the time and I’m always learning. Whether it be the way in which we conduct business with clients – for example programmatically, new devices shaping our next advertising solution for marketers, or other brands potentially changing the overall landscape. Media keeps you young and on your toes.”

3 – Describe your ideal client.

“Someone who is keen to experiment with new/different ways to make their brand unmissable: take risks, show humour, use surprise tactics. Being collaborative and creative is key as well.”

4 – Name your favourite ever campaign.

“Haribo Starmix – I love all the Haribo kiddie ads, but the cinema one is my favourite.”

5 – Which award win are you most proud of, and why?

“Ad Age’s Best Places to Work. Culture and employee satisfaction is one of the most important things at Undertone so this is an award that we’re all especially proud of.”

6 – Who is the best industry speaker you have seen?

“Still looking, but Sheryl Sandberg is definitely in the top three.”

7 – Which is your favourite social media platform, and why?

“Instagram. Oh, what’s not to love?! All those pictures, seeing what’s inspiring those who inspire us and it straddles beautifully with work-life and home-life.”

8 – Where is your ideal meeting venue?

“Off-site. It becomes more of a level playing field when you’re outside of the client’s office – you’re buying the coffee and there are no distractions or interruptions. Berners Tavern is great for breakfast, anywhere that does Monmouth coffee for a coffee meeting, and the ‘smoothie area’ after a spin class, ideally at Psycle. I’m so ‘media’ right now.”

9 – What is your favourite restaurant? 

“Sticks‘n’Sushi. Delicious food, great atmosphere, cool décor – great for both work and personal. It’s my happy place.”

10 – What is hot in international media and marketing, and what is not?

“Hot: Creative – this needs to stay at the heart of the media and marketing conversation – and emotional tracking as a new metric for measuring campaign performance.

“Not: CPM – an outdated metric.”

11 – Which industry buzzword would you ban?

“Learnings. That’s not a word, you mean ‘insights’!”

12 – Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?

“Managing an online media sales organisation somewhere exotic, hot and with my family – the perfect work/beach-life balance. It’s also important that my kids experience living in another country – it will provide them the opportunity to gain invaluable life skills that will help them on their journey.”

13 – Finally, who would play you in a movie of your life?

“Peter Griffin for his outlook and humour on life, Kate Bush for our aesthetic similarities?”