A Day In The Life

Lynne Ault

Posted 01 July 2018

London Program

March 2010 Intake

Current Role: Senior Director, Sales at Adweek, New York

My Alarm Goes off... and I hate to admit it, but I check my email! I work with a lot of international clients who will get in touch at all hours, and in sales there's really no "off switch". Hopefully next time I answer this, I'll have something very Oprah to say like meditate.

I'm Responsible For... driving revenue/growth across our properties in my role as Senior Director, Sales at Adweek. I know many outside the industry think that media sales is just ad placements, but given that Adweek is a b2b marketing publisher and the rise of targeting, my role is much more about reaching audiences in a meaningful and intelligent way (through a variety of channels).

I Got The Job... by having a great Linkedin profile and being open to new opportunities. My current role is in a similar field and I was head hunted by a competing publisher. This of course is the ideal scenario for most people and I can't believe this actually happened, I certainly have plenty of other job hunting stories where this is not the case!

My Typical Day... with sales, there's no typical day - which is part of the reason why I chose this profession. Especially with media sales, the world is constantly changing and the ability to stay on your toes and respond quickly to changes in the market is key.

The Culture Of My Workplace... is focused on delivering at the highest level consistently. Across the organization, Adweek has some of the most talented and smartest people in the business I have ever had the pleasure to work with. The overall team's support, sophistication and drive push me to do my best everyday.

My Most Memorable Work Moment... was attending the 2012 Olympic Games in London when I was working with the Mayor of London's office. Watching Usain Bolt win gold from a sailboat in the middle of the Thames is an experience I'll never forget!

My Role Models are... too many to name in this newsletter. However, I come from a long line of strong, intelligent, leading women and I like to think I'm making them proud.

The Most Challenging Part of My Job... is managing client expectations. Like most sales roles, my job involves a delicate balance of promoting the opportunities available, while being realistic about the end results.

The Best Part of My Job... is working with clients and being out in the market. I'm a naturally curious person and getting to understand how different businesses work, what their pain points are, etc. has been a great education. Also, since my Mountbatten days, it's important to me to maintain an internationally focused career and working in media has allowed me to continue to travel/explore.

After work... ideally I'm making dinner with my partner, Chris. Cooking is a great way for me to unwind and focus on the present.

Plan B: If I wasn't doing this, I would... be working with a non-profit. I volunteer quite a bit for several NYC based organizations, including Bottomless Closet - an organization that helps women re-enter the workplace through interview prep, resume review and professional clothing and am so inspired by the work these organizations do!