Fergal McKenna is regional sales director at global adtech platform, EXTE.
Based in Manchester, McKenna is an experienced leader in the UK advertising scene, with a career spanning more than a decade in media and technology. He recently joined EXTE to lead its expansion outside of London, and to support the company’s plans of being a go-to partner for creative and branded content across the North.
Prior to joining EXTE, he was instrumental in growing MiQ’s presence in the North. Here, he gives an insight into his career journey so far along with some words of advice…
How did you first get into your industry?
Whilst at university, I was lucky enough to do a placement year at a major agency in Manchester. This experience then got me into my first job in sales.
What do you love about your job?
The best thing about my job is definitely the people. I’ve met some of the funniest, most genuine and lovely people in the companies I’ve worked for and the clients I’ve worked with. I also love how much my industry promotes collaboration. It’s amazing when you get a group of talented people together and build a strategy that fully solves a client’s challenge.
Who – or what – has inspired you in your career?
My dad is and will always be my first inspiration in my career and life. He came from humble beginnings and had a really successful career. He balanced his work and home life perfectly and I’m beyond proud of him.
I’ve also been lucky enough to be managed by some of the most talented and genuine people in the industry. Laura Sanderson was a fantastic manager when I started in sales. She genuinely cared and went above and beyond to pass on all her knowledge. Rob Linton was a brilliant manager for me at MiQ, there genuinely isn’t anything he doesn’t know about programmatic. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say my sister was my biggest inspiration. We sadly lost her to leukemia in 2013, but her positivity and stoicism throughout her five and half year battle will always be my biggest inspiration.
What are the biggest challenges about your job?
Standing out. There is so much competition in our industry that you have to stand out and be remembered in a positive light as a person but more importantly, you need to bring a real point of difference and strong benefit to your clients.
What skills have been the most crucial to you succeeding in your career so far?
Throughout my career I’ve learnt how important it is to actively listen, rather than just hear. When you start out you think it’s all about being able to give a flawless pitch but you quickly realise that’s useless if there’s no relevance to the client. Having a genuine interest in people definitely goes a long way and I think that’s a skill I’ve developed in my career.
What was your first salary and what could someone getting into the industry expect to earn nowadays?
I can’t answer that first part! I’d say around £20 – £25K for someone starting out.
What education or training would be most useful for someone looking to follow your career path?
I’d say any additional experience you can gain will be useful. Of course, apprenticeships and internships in agencies are fantastic. But even if it’s not necessarily relevant, that additional experience can be really crucial. I worked in a restaurant for a year before my first sales job and that was honestly a real plus in getting hired. I’ve also worked with people with degrees in just about any subject so don’t feel you had to have studied marketing or advertising to succeed in this industry.
What advice would you have for someone looking to follow your path?
I wish I would have learned to be more inquisitive sooner and get over that fear of asking a question and potentially looking stupid. Being inquisitive shows people you’re genuinely interested and that will get you a long way. LinkedIn is a phenomenal tool for learning, but also giving you easy access to important and influential people. If they’re in a field or speaking about a subject you’re interested in, ask them questions, what have you got to lose?!
