A New York Minute with David Sequeira
New York City is one of the undisputed centers of gravity in the advertising universe. From the agencies on Madison Avenue, to the billboards of Times Square and everything in between. It’s also home to one of Quantcast’s largest global offices and a group of talented individuals who are as excited as they are proud to be part of this constantly evolving industry. In this blog series, we are meeting with the team to hear what makes them tick, all in a New York Minute.
To kick things off, we are getting to know David Sequeira, our sales leader in the region. DSeq, as he is known globally by his colleagues, has been with Quantcast for over five years and is as passionate about the industry today as the day he started.
1. What excites you the most about this industry?
I love how fast paced it is. Because of the speed at which things change, you always feel like you are learning. This means that you are continually challenged and there is never a chance to rest on “what you already know”. Coming from a predominantly brand focused background when I first began in the digital industry, I had to understand the world of direct response, then programmatic advertising, and then machine learning and AI! Quantcast has actually brought me back to my brand roots with our ability to sell to customers across the full marketing funnel.
2. What is the best piece of business advice that you have ever received?
I have been given some great advice throughout my career, but the best advice came from my grandad. He told me to give myself an ambitious career goal and map out the steps it will take to get there. Therefore no matter what type of distractions try to throw you off, no matter how around you may change, you are always able to focus on the milestones and landmarks that will get you to your end goal. This has always kept me motivated and given me a mentality to continually move things forward.
3. As a Brit living in NYC, what is your favorite place to go when you are feeling homesick?
Luckily, I have my brother living in New York. Funnily enough he works on the same floor, in the same building as Quantcast, but for a different company. That shows you just what a small world this is. We tend to get together to talk about and watch football (or soccer for my American colleagues) every chance we get so that’s definitely a good reminder of home. One thing I am on the look out for is a good curry – if anyone has recommendations, send them my way.
4. What would you do for a career if you weren’t doing what you are doing right now?
My first marketing role was in the sports industry. It would be too unrealistic to say I would be a professional footballer as i’m pretty sure that dream disappeared a long time ago! I love the outdoors and I love being active. I always thought I would make a good personal trainer, helping people hit their health and fitness goals. I would like to be an “all-rounder” where I advise on nutrition as well.
5. What is your favorite part about working in the NYC office at Quantcast?
It might sound like a cliché answer but it’s the people I work with. They are all smart, ambitious and hard-working. They give everything they have every day and it makes me very proud to see the fantastic service they deliver to our clients. They also make it a fun environment to work in (although there are days when the music choices drive me crazy).