Meet Harps, Account Director

Tell us a little bit about you.

Hi, I'm Harps, a Londoner through and through, proudly representing the Southeast! With a good number of years under my belt in the industry, I've gained a wealth of experience, spanning from publisher sales to media agency work, and of course, the exciting world of AdTech! Believe it or not, my original career aspirations were aimed at NASA, but science wasn’t my strong suit. Social skills on the other hand are and, after studying Media at the University of Southampton, I ‘fell’ into media sales at the Southern Daily Echo and Hampshire Life and, since then, haven’t looked back.

Describe your role at Picnic.  

My role is Account Director and, as a proud member of the commercial team, my primary mission is to collaborate with media agencies, ensuring we deliver best-in-class campaigns for their clients, all while boosting Picnic's revenue and contributing to our growth. On a broader scale, Picnic is still relatively fresh in the market but has some exciting growth plans in the pipeline; this means I get to be at the forefront of driving Picnic's success, spreading the word about our user-first mission, and playing a key role in our continued growth and development.
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What advice would you give to others aspiring to be an Account Director?

I don’t think this is specific advice for aspiring Account Director’s but for all roles: always be willing to help and pitch in - no matter what level you are. When everyone leverages their unique strengths, it has the power to elevate a good team into an exceptional one. Staying receptive to listening and learning is also important. In our rapidly evolving tech landscape, ongoing improvement and adaptability are crucial.

What excites you most about the industry?

It’s a constantly evolving industry whether that’s innovation or people moving around! Back when I initially joined media, the landscape was heavily focused on traditional media, but now it's all about the evolution of digital. There's a wave of new entrants in the market, each bringing fresh and innovative ideas to the table. It's exciting to be a part of this transformative journey, and I'm excited for what the future has in store for us.

What are your passions outside of work?

I don't have one particular passion, but I enjoy the usual stuff like hanging out with friends and family, reading (especially crime thrillers), cooking for others, travelling to new places, and trying different foods...although, I drew the line at eating cockroaches in Bangkok!

Finally, tell us a fun fact about you.

I will let you decide which you think is the truth out of the following 1 truth, 2 lies: 

1) I have been lucky enough to swim with the pigs in the Bahamas 

2) At the age of 14, I represented my country in the 4x100 relay 

3) English isn’t my first language

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