Meet Gabriel Akin-Odujobi, our Director of Publisher Development, who is spearheading adMarketplace’s supply expansion in EMEA. We checked in with Gabriel to know more about his life at adMarketplace and beyond, here’s what he had to say:

1. Why did you choose to work at adMarketplace?

I spent pretty much the entirety of my digital career on the publisher side. The biggest challenge I’ve seen is monetizing the great content that publishers create without compromising what they write or their user experience. Publishers end up using solutions that increase load time, drop cookies and adopt payment models that leave them with a high level of uncertainty about what they will earn over the next month. All of this serves to disrupt the smooth flow from editorial to customer. adMarketplace is specifically solving this problem. We empower the user-centricity of our partners, offer tech solutions that better serve their base and, of course, improve their monetization. Because our partners are worth it *flicks hair*

2. What is your favorite thing about spearheading business development in EMEA?

I get to ask the question, "How can we become number one? What would that ask of me? What would that ask of my team?". I had the same goals as an athlete, "How can I become number one? What would that ask of me?” I then identified vital areas of work, laid out a plan, and built a team to get me closer to that goal. I have really enjoyed coming in to build the business development processes, prioritization structure and marketing collateral for the EMEA operation. We're not just making what is required for today but is scalable for tomorrow. I enjoy getting to know many publishers from search engines to new sites, shopping apps to blogs and coming up with integration plans that fit into their existing business.

3. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in your career so far?

He who dares, wins! That is a quote from a man called Del Boy on a British TV show called Only Fools and Horses. He was a salesman, and his ethos has always stuck with me. If you don't get out of your comfort zone, you can't grow, but if you try something new, even if it doesn't land, you have moved forward. Asking the question and putting myself out there is essential, whether I'm learning a new skill, working on myself or approaching a premium publisher and finding ways to add value.

4. What advice would you give prospective adMarketplace employees?

It’s never too soon to start making an impact. I suggested how to reposition our marketing for a European audience and create by country, EMEA specific bottom-up forecasting in my second week. The team was receptive and excited to collaborate. It is one of the rare businesses where we are encouraged to respectfully challenge and contribute to the broader business. If you have a solution to an existing problem, there’s a good chance the team will rally behind you to make it happen.

6. How do you wind down at the end of a busy day?

It depends on the day. On a day like today, I'd go to the gym to workout. I attend a small reformer pilates class, roughly 2.5-3 hours a week. That's both my physical conditioning and, surprisingly, how I wind down. It has defined health benefits, but I mostly simply enjoy the journey and the challenge or, as my instructor Pat describes it, "punishment" :D.For the mind, I like watching stand up comedy. It makes me laugh and puts me in a positive frame of mind. I have also started using it whenever I need to be creative or make a big decision. I watch 5 - 10 minutes of something fun, and it really sparks something. I don't know how it works, but it does. He’s a pretty cool guy, huh? We love having him part of the team! For more Gabriel content, check out this BONUS video!! Leap of Faith: ENGLAND HURDLER on Vimeo - VIVIDA