We are excited to welcome Shannon Sewell to Ortana Media Group as our Product Sales Manager.
Check out her interview for the Ortana Blog, where Shannon talks about her journey and plans for Ortana Media Group.
Hi Shannon, we are all very excited to have you join the growing team at Ortana Media Group! You have a solid B2B commercial background, helping some of the top media companies across the world find the right talent. Could you share a bit of that journey with us and some of the insights you gained along the way?
Shannon: Thank you, and I'm really excited to be here too! Of course, from a commercial perspective, I'm very used to a 360 approach. In the world of recruitment, it's sometimes referred to as “pull a role, fill a role”.
I'm experienced in going to market and speaking with people at all levels, identifying their needs and coming up with a solution for them. Working very much on a consulting basis and not just forcing a product/solution on a client but demonstrating how I can make their life easier or their business more efficient. On the flip side of that, speaking with candidates about what they want next in their future, and which companies can offer that to them as well as where and how their skill set could fit.
I started my career in the broadcast industry back in 2015 as a Trainee Recruiter, specialising in the broadcast and media industries. I worked my way up to Principal Consultant, where I was responsible for leading a team of extremely talented consultants working on post production and playout technologies across the EMEA and APAC regions. At that time, I worked as a Business Development & Account Manager for some of the largest names in the industry.
To summarise, I would have to say relationships are what I've gained along the way. The ability to make them and grow them. Ultimately though, the industry is very people driven, its where strong business bonds and partnerships start, be that recruitment or product and solution led sales.
Your commercial experience seems to be a perfect fit for a customer centric business, such as Ortana and you’re a great addition to our commercial team. What was it that first attracted you to the company?
Shannon: I feel it’s all about seeing a problem and offering a solution. That is very transferable. I kept hearing about Ortana, both from clients and candidates. I would see them at trade shows and pester James Gibson (Ortana’s Founder & CEO) to reach out whenever they next wanted to recruit. Then Fraser Jardine, who I’ve known for many years, was at the time Ortana’s Commercial Director (he's now the company's Managing Director). I saw on his LinkedIn profile that the company was expanding rapidly, had received a strategic investment by Iyuno-SDI. I reached out to say congratulations and he mentioned he was expanding his commercial team. After a few conversations, I was over the moon when he said he wanted me to join his team.
We are only a few weeks away from attending the Media Production and Technology Show (MPTS) after 2 years away, due to the pandemic. You must be very excited to meet everyone in the industry face to face again. Could you give us a hint of what our customers and partners can expect from Ortana this year at the show?
Shannon: I can’t wait to be back out there. I think the whole industry has been crying out for it. We’ve had a few trade shows in the later half of the pandemic but with a lot of restrictions. To be back out there seeing people and of course, talking to everyone about Ortana, its Cubix products, and what's coming next for the company will be great! Simon and James are heading out to Las Vegas for NAB2022 before MPTS which is great to see. While over there they’ll be meeting with as many of our existing partners as possible as well as be on the lookout for new opportunities.
Don't worry, they’ll be back for MPTS, where there are so many exciting new things to talk about! Especially the latest news about the Cubix product line. I don't want to give away too much here, but if you're attending please stop by to say hello! (were on Stand L748 by the way)
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