Ben Broadhead
Ben Broadhead, Economics (2008)
Marketing Analytics Manager at DFDS
My university experience was a very positive one. The course was well structured with key core activities and many options to specialise and tailor the course to my interests. Econometrics was a particularly important module for my career progression. Tutors were incredibly helpful, particularly in my final year where their door was always open to help guide me through the most challenging parts of the degree.
Edinburgh is an incredible city to live in with lots of culture and a great night life. Even though it is a capital city it is very easy to navigate and the transport links are great. It gave me a great educational and social life which helped me with my career goals.
If you were to go back into higher education now, what would you choose to study, and why?
A mix of marketing, economics, and business would be an even better fit for my career path.
Tell us a little bit about your career path from university to DFDS?
Cashier for a bar and events company (2 years), marketing and communications coordinator for a large North East-based market research agency (5 years), marketing analyst at DFDS (3 years). Promoted to Marketing Analytics Manager at DFDS in October 2017 (current)
What does your typical day working at DFDS looks like?
As a marketing analytics manager, I work with the analytics team to develop digital insights across the global organisation. I create and maintain a common reporting suite across marketing functions and territories. I also conduct analysis within the marketing team to drive actionable insights and innovation. I support development of an insight strategy and support implementation of plans to drive innovation, evaluation and optimisation across the marketing organisation.
What first attracted you to DFDS?
It is a big brand in the North East and across Europe. The opportunity to work internationally was a great attraction. Although based in North Shields, I travel to Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Olso with my role. I also regularly work with colleagues across Europe of many different nationalities, which makes DFDS a very diverse and interesting place to work.
What was the application and interview process like?
The interview process was in two stages. The first was a get-to-know-each-other interview with some questions about my previous employment and skillset. The second was an analytics task I had to prepare prior to interview, to be presented with questions after.
What is your ambition at DFDS?
My ambition is for the analytics team to supply the marketing team with all the desired reporting requirements and provide additional key insights to drive business decisions. Additionally my ambition is for the analytics team to provide a deeper understanding of return on investment to drive more efficient spend decisions.
What would be your advice to those seeking a similar career path to yourself?
Be open to working in different areas. I originally studied economics but my career is now in marketing. Your degree does not necessarily need to determine your career path.