Lucky 13: Cathy Ibal, CNN International | M&M Global

Lucky 13: Cathy Ibal, CNN International

Keep an eye out for Cathy Ibal – CNN International’s sales director for Middle East, Africa, Turkey, CIS and Southern/Central/Eastern Europe – relaxing at Soho House in Istanbul.

cathy

1 – Summarise yourself in three words.

“Energetic, passionate, tenacious.”

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

“I was the president of the students’ video association when I attended business school. After graduation, the natural fit was a marketing and media position into a TV sales house.”

3 – Describe your ideal client.

“A client who sees CNN as a partner, is open to be challenged with new ideas and ready to take calculated risks.”

4 – Name your favourite ever campaign.

“‘Unhate’ by United Colors of Benetton. In 2011 the brand released six highly controversial images of world leaders engaging in some very close diplomatic discussions. The brand took risks, toed the line yet they made a serious point without affecting their reputation. The message was positive with a smooth reference to history.”

unhate

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

“Seeing as I’m writing this for M&M, it’s the M&M Awards of course!”

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

“Richard Branson for his advice on work-life balance, ‘when it all goes wrong, don’t worry.’ The important thing is to learn from it, get back on and get it right the next time.”

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

“WhatsApp as it means I can engage instantly with people I like and work with all over the world.”

8 – Where is your ideal meeting venue?

“Soho House in Istanbul.”

9 – What is your favourite restaurant?

“Amaro in Warsaw.”

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

“Hot: Engagement, big data, native, branded content, bots. Not hot: The single medium campaign.”

11 – Which industry buzzword would you ban?

“360 campaign as it takes on too many different meanings.”

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

“Still connected to the international media industry – I really enjoy my work and the people I am working with are very smart and inspiring. It’s difficult to see a change.”

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

“An actress who could speak English with a strong French accent with an occasional misuse of vocabulary! I am sure Marion Cotillard could mimic my accent.”

French actress Marion Cotillard in 'Two Days One Night'
French actress Marion Cotillard in ‘Two Days One Night’
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