Yasmin Davoodi is commercial director at ramarketing, a global life sciences marketing agency.
Founded in 2009, ramarketing is headquartered in Newcastle with a team of 80 spread across offices in the US, Canada and UK.
Davoodi, who is based in Manchester, started out as a senior marketing and lead generation executive back in 2016 and, following a series of promotions, was appointed to her current role in 2022.
From the biggest job challenges to entering the industry, she shares her career journey and words of advice…
How did you first get into your industry?
Through a placement degree at Northumbria University, I secured a placement at Aesica Pharmaceuticals based in Newcastle at the time. It was an amazing experience. While I worked there, there was a big acquisition and so I learned how rebranding an organisation worked, across 8 locations in Europe and the UK, working with a big sales team. I learned so much about the mechanics of working within a business and all the support functions within it. I got to travel and started to understand the role marketing played in business growth.
I worked there for two years while doing my degree and then came to ramarketing 8 years ago now. I worked with people who made such an impact on my career, Alex Maw especially, who gave me a chance at launching my career in life sciences.
What do you love about your job?
Everything. I love the amazing people I get to work with, our clients are lovely human beings and care so much about the work they do. I love how everyday is different. ramarketing is not the easiest place to work;, we look after our team but we expect them to be brilliant at what they do and to care – which they are and do.
We have to constantly evolve to suit our client’s needs and that can be tough but so rewarding. It drives you to learn, take feedback and hone your craft – which is what I love about ramarketing the most. The sector we operate in can be technical and hard to get to grips with, but the work going on within biotech and big pharma to change the lives of patients is groundbreaking and exciting. So, all of those things contribute to what I love about my job but the people make it for me. I have the best commercial team you could ask for and they get me out of bed each day.
Who – or what – has inspired you in your career?
There are so many answers to this question. My team, my partner and my son inspire me every day. They are resilient, brilliant and so warm to be around. I’m so blessed to have them in my place. My mother will always be my biggest inspiration. As a single parent of four children, she worked hard, nurtured us and fought for us to grow up and achieve our dreams. She’s the strongest person I have ever met in my life and is my constant source of inspiration.
Alex, who was my first ever boss, taught me so much about people, and having a job with responsibility but still being your authentic self and dedicating your time to nurturing others. Raman, who is our founder, was the person who believed in me enough to join his business at the time, which was a big risk given it was a small business and so each hire had to be the right one. He taught me so much about what I know about marketing and sales. Emma, who is our CEO, inspires me to be proud to be distinctively different and that it doesn’t matter how many years of experience you have on paper – if you are good enough, you are good enough.
What are the biggest challenges about your job?
It’s really hard to manage performance and people, and finding the balance between pushing a team to perform versus nurturing and supporting them. I also don’t think I’ll ever feel at home in a board meeting! Not because our board team isn’t lovely but because of my own insecurities and sense of belonging. I’m also someone who constantly wants to do better and that’s hard to navigate at work without working 24/7 which is not sustainable!
What skills have been the most crucial to you succeeding in your career so far?
Learning to listen. Learning the impact you and your words can have on people (good and bad). The ability to take feedback, even if it’s hard and to get out of your own way. Emotional resilience (I haven’t mastered this one yet!)
What was your first salary and what could someone getting into the industry expect to earn nowadays?
My first salary was around £16,500 per year as part of a placement, then £20K when I came to ramarketing. I would always recommend not putting money before the opportunity. If you have the chance to learn and grow, the money will come later.
What education or training would be most useful for someone looking to follow your career path?
There isn’t one route but I think placements, apprenticeships and work experience are great ways of getting access to the world of work quickly. I’m 29 and I think the reason I’ve accelerated so quickly in my career is because I got into the sector at 19!
What advice would you have for someone looking to follow your path?
Be yourself, work hard and constantly seek to learn new skills and perspectives. The more you can absorb from others, the faster you’ll become the version of yourself you want to be!
