In this latest edition of My Digital Hero, Zoe Risbridger-Smith, Programmatic Business Development Manager at Bauer Media Outdoor names the person who has inspired her most in her career…
Who is your digital hero?
Stacey Kehoe, Brandlective Communications
What have they done to win hero status in your eyes?
Stacey really took a bet on me. I was 18 with no prior experience in marketing or advertising. She saw something in me and brought me onto her team. During my time working with her, I gained hands-on experience in SEO, email marketing, website generation, PPC and paid social. Not only was this incredible exposure to a client-facing role early in my career, but the biddable nature of PPC and paid social is exactly where my understanding of programmatic began.
What started as a leap of faith quickly became the foundation of my career. Without that foundation, I’m not sure I would have grasped programmatic buying nearly as quickly and that ultimately set me on the path to the role I have today.
How has their heroism helped drive digital?
Stacey has been a continuous champion for digital marketing, investing not just in business growth but in meaningful initiatives, such as the B1G1, that gives back and creates lasting global impact.
What are the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
The lack of opportunities for the younger generation is one of the biggest challenges in digital. As an industry, we should take a chance on the younger generation. There are so many ‘entry-level’ roles on job boards that ask for a minimum of two years of experience, but where are the employers offering that experience before university?
I was fortunate to have a full-time role with Stacey before starting university, and I continued working remotely throughout my studies. By the time I graduated, I had four years of experience in client strategy and digital activation, which gave me a heap of opportunities to learn and grow early in my career. We should be able to set that foundation for the younger generation.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
One of my most heroic personal achievements in digital has been helping to build and scale the UK programmatic offering at Bauer Media Outdoor. Programmatic OOH is complex and has multiple touchpoints, so I’m proud of the part I’ve played in shaping how we navigate it.
What I enjoy most is being involved across the entire process – partnering closely with advertisers to develop strategic recommendations and ensuring each campaign delivers the best possible outcomes. Within that, ad-tech is an ever-changing landscape and I’ve really loved watching developments arise and responding with what is best for our partners & clients.
By refining processes in response to market feedback and introducing new ways of working, I’ve helped drive our programme forward. I’ve worn multiple hats: innovator, problem-solver, collaborator, and educator – all of which have helped establish Bauer Media Outdoor as a leading force in digital OOH.
