Matt Hamill is the VP of Sales at Division-D. He has over 16 years industry experience, working for digital scale ups and multinational media companies. Division-D is a full-service digital partner, offering brands and agencies access to the best in class advertising technologies and world class customer service.
Here, Hamill shares the name of the person who has most inspired him in his working life…
Who is your digital hero?
Hailey Brewer (nee McDermott) – Client Sales Director at Nano Interactive.
What have they done to win hero status in your eyes?
Hailey has been instrumental in building and growing Nano Interactive’s UK presence.
We both started in digital around the same time. So, there were lots of long walks trying to figure out what all the confusing digital jargon meant, and how we could cut through the noise to build and grow revenue.
We’re both incredibly competitive with each other, yet always wanted the other person to succeed. That dynamic in sales is rare, and this pushed us both to be better every day.
She made me better at my job just by working next to her. Even if her pre wedding breakfast choices were questionable.
Hailey is a great example of how hard work, backing yourself and approaching work with a smile on your face can create success.
How has their heroism helped drive digital?
Hailey’s one of the best media sellers I’ve ever worked with. I’ve always admired how tough and resilient she is, and equally, how much she’s loved by her clients and colleagues.
Ad Tech can often be dominated by men, she’s broken through that glass ceiling and is now rightfully recognised as one of the best in the industry.
I love that she doesn’t suffer fools, gets stuff done and is always a pleasure to work with.
What the biggest challenges in digital we need another hero to solve?
Complexity, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.
I love the pace, breadth, and depth of our industry. Yet we can be guilty of over complicating simple aspects of our roles that in my view, silo paid media and limit the influence we can have within broader businesses.
I also feel like we’ve lost part of the human element of our industry too. There’s less meetings face to face, sharing ideas, discussing how we can work together. While I love the hybrid working, I miss the human interaction that leads to collaboration and knowledge sharing. Screens and technology will never be able to replace sitting with someone asking how they are and how’s business.
What is your most heroic personal achievement so far in digital?
I wouldn’t describe this as heroic, but I’m certainly very proud of this moment as the experience shaped who I am today.
Returning to work after the birth of my daughter and cancer treatment. Just one of those events is huge, but both happening at the same time was incredibly challenging personally. I had a lot of self-doubt, self-consciousness, and guilt. Dealing with all that head noise, putting a smile on my face and stepping through the office doors was one of the biggest achievements of my life, let alone career.
While the experience was horrible, it’s instilled me with confidence that I can face any challenge thrown my way.
