Ross Webster, managing director, international sales at The Weather Company, an IBM Business, can be found anywhere with decent Wi-Fi and good espresso.
1 – Summarise yourself in three words.
“Curious, trusting, confident.”
2 – What made you want to pursue a career in media and marketing?
“I have always been a prolific consumer of press, and joined News International with the desire to learn the craft of sales in that environment. The amount of variety and the speed of change within media has allowed my career to be driven by constant learning and new opportunities. I started out in press sales at The Times, and now I’m helping build a cognitive data and technology business.”
3 – Describe your ideal client.
“Open, brave, inquisitive and innovative”
4 – Name your favourite ever campaign.
“Burberry during the London Olympics sticks in my mind for the shear blood, sweat and tears that went into producing a truly innovative campaign. That set a new benchmark demonstrating how mobile advertising can be inspirational and beautiful.”
5 – Which award win are you most proud of, and why?
“Emap Advertising Sales Team of the Year. The team’s relentless focus on their culture and values, led to a vibrant, fun and successful company. I am not surprised that so many individuals from that team have gone on to forge such successful careers.”
6 – Who is the best industry speaker you have seen?
“I’ve seen a lot of great speakers – but any speaker that changes the way I behave is inspirational. To that point, Margaret Heffernan springs to mind.”
“The disruption around media is fascinating to watch, as is the attempts of long standing media companies to thrive in the ever changing media environment”
7 – Which is your favourite social media platform, and why?
“Not original, but I guess Facebook is my go to platform to check in on friends and acquaintances far and wide.”
8 – Where is your ideal meeting venue?
“Anywhere with decent Wi-Fi and good espresso.”
9 – What is your favourite restaurant?
“J Sheekey for its comfort; Heston’s Dinner for its innovation and surprise.”
10 – What is hot in international media and marketing, and what is not?
“Data and data platforms have never been so hot, particularly as we learn new ways to interpret it. Cognitive platforms like IBM’s Watson will change the way that data is understood and then used to literally change people’s lives.
“The disruption around media is fascinating to watch, as is the attempts of long standing media companies to thrive in the ever changing media environment. Sadly, over the next few years, we will continue to see some traditional mainstays of media crumble.”
11 – Which industry buzzword would you ban?
“Too big to fail.”
12 – Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
“Running to keep up with the accelerating change in media and marketing, and loving it.”
13 – Finally, who would play you in a movie of your life?
“Bob Parr.”
