“The Brands You Don’t Want To Work On Are As Important As The Ones You Do”: 10 Of The Best With Group M’s Ryan Menezes

As the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end, meaning we’ve reached the last of the interviews as part of our ‘10 of the Best’ series.

[Looking for the live stream of B&T’s Best of the Best awards? You’ve found it – click here!]

Of course, the series was created in celebration of our inaugural Best of the Best awards. What are they, you might ask?

Presented by Finecast, Best of the Best will bring something unique to this year’s awards season. While most awards focus on the work of an agency or company as a whole, Best of the Best will celebrate the immense individual talent on show in every area of advertising, marketing and media.

Our Best of the Best awards will also be celebrating the people who continue to do the most, with categories for mentors and social change-makers.

You can find a breakdown of all the different categories here, along with a downloadable file outlining the full submission criteria.

Come on, you know you want to enter! Head on over HERE to complete your submission/s by Friday 25 June 2021.

To inspire you even more to enter Best of the Best, we’ve published some fab interviews with a number of senior folk from Finecast and the broader WPP AUNZ network.

We’ve asked them everything from their best piece of career advice, to the best mistake they’ve ever made, to their best guilty pleasure.

Our final one features GroupM’s chief technology and transformation officer, Ryan Menezes. Enjoy…

Best piece of career advice…

“Performance equals potential minus interference” – Toby Barbour, former Publicis Media CEO and currently running his own business. I continue to apply this advice every day to support and enable top talent while reducing any friction or interference that could impede them from achieving their best self and best work.

Best agency in Australia at the moment (that’s not yours) and why…

AKQA are doing some amazing work in direct-to-consumer marketplace strategy and builds. Considering the exponential growth in commerce last year, the Australian retail ecosystem continues to evolve. AKQA helps innovative and brave brands build a direct and meaningful relationship with their customers, which will future-proof their business when it comes to commerce growth and scaling 1P data for identity.

Best industry leader and why…

I worked with Floriane Tripolino when I was based in Tokyo. She’s one of the most resilient leaders I have ever met. Her grit combined with a considered and creative approach to solving complex problems within a male-dominant workforce has always been an inspiration to me.

Best mentor in your life/career and why…

I have two mentors that played an instrumental role in the early stages of my career in Toronto, Canada: Peter Vaz and Heather Loosemore, who have always inspired me to be bold, be comfortable with being different and always staying humble. Peter Vaz passed away in October 2019, nearly three years after being diagnosed with ALS. His presence is dearly missed within the Canadian media industry.

Best brand you’ve never worked on and why…

The brands you don’t want to work on are as important as the ones you do. I remember around six years ago I was asked to partake in a pitch for Ashley Madison (the affairs dating site). I chose to decline, since this didn’t align with my beliefs and principles. We work in marketing, but you have to draw the line somewhere, and I’m glad I made that decision.

Best song for inspiration and why…

“Jesus of Suburbia” by Green Day, which is a magnificent nine-minute rock opera. I love the energy in this song and the ups and downs across the five unique movements that bring it together. When I’m having a rough day, this song helps me organise my thoughts and provide clarity.

Best mistake you’ve ever made…

Leaving my full-time job and moving to Japan for a short stint. This journey made me a stronger and more resilient person who was comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Best rumour you’ve heard about yourself…

That I was part of an independent reality TV series #RyanCam about everyday media life which gained worldwide fame. I can’t confirm or deny.

Best ad of the past decade and why…

The Aussie lamb ads are brilliant. The tongue-in-cheek humour continues to push the creative boundary, while highlighting important cultural issues such as the lack of diversity in advertising and the changing face of multicultural Australia.

Best guilty pleasure…

Watching random and corny Korean dramas with my wife. 100 Days My Prince, anyone? Please don’t judge.