Christina Green is Global Digital Director at Zenith. She has worked in the digital industry for the last decade, with previous roles at companies including Microsoft, AOL and Sonobi.
Who is your digital hero?
Dora Michail, former Managing Director of Digital at the Telegraph, now Consultant for the Ozone Project and mentor at MEFA (Media for All).
What has she done to win hero status in your eyes?
Dora joined the digital media industry before it was cool!
She began her journey in a typical fashion, as a graduate hoping to fall into an exciting and innovative career path, and that she did. Having proved her tenacity and value, Dora took impressive strides to work her way up through the ranks into very senior industry roles at Yahoo! and the Telegraph, leaving the door wide open for others behind her.
How has her heroism helped drive digital?
Her career trajectory is one that I and many others would aspire to, taking on varied roles in large corporations and start-up enterprises, promoting her strengths and proving invaluable to companies who reward her talent and passion.
In a typical media landscape of white male leaders, Dora has pushed through barriers and ensured she has a seat at the table.
What is also inspirational is that she does not stop at her own ambition but is passionate about helping others to rise up too. By mentoring for organisations such as MEFA (Media for All), and being involved in industry workshops and panels, she has undoubtedly led the way for others to follow and have their voices heard.
What are the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
Diversity. It’s a subject I am passionate about, and we cannot ignore that it’s an issue in need of strong support.
Having worked across several roles in various companies, I am always struck by the lack of diversity in the digital media industry. Given the creative, team-spirited and dynamic nature of our work, it is disappointing that we still do not represent enough women in leadership positions, and black and minority ethnic voices and communities.
It is definitely improving, thanks to the effort and drive of certain individuals and companies across the industry, but there is much more work to be done. Without a diverse workforce, we are missing out on creative ideas, future leaders and revenue that could completely shake up our industry.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
I am really proud of the fact that I have challenged myself to work across all areas of the digital media landscape, rather than sticking to what is safe and comfortable. I started my career media owner side and learnt so much about the publisher world at AOL (now Verizon Media) in client services roles, also witnessing the birth of programmatic.
The ever-changing and refreshing newness of the industry kept me on my toes and learning something new every day. I then took a scary leap of faith into the ad tech world, working at a start-up on a nascent team of only four individuals. Very different to what I was used to, I was determined to build up my technical knowledge and behind-the-scenes exposure of the ad industry.
I then moved into the agency world to Zenith, a media buyer that had previously been my client! I am thoroughly enjoying and thriving on the diversity of my current role and the dynamic nature of agency life. As scary as it can be to delve into a role that is unfamiliar and challenging, it is also extremely rewarding.
Having an open mind and willingness to embrace change will inevitably broaden your horizons, enhance your experience and provide you with the tools to thrive anywhere, with expertise in every area.
I’m proud that I took on those challenges and pushed myself through tough times, knowing it would positively impact my career and general outlook on life. I am also very proud to be on the Zenith Global Diversity & Inclusion team, having been a key facilitator of our first workshop, A Collective Voice is Power, discussing race, allyship and how to promote D&I within the industry.
