There are some pretty remarkable people in our industry, each offering their own unique perspective to adland.

While we spend so much time learning about our peers’ career highlights, B&T, in partnership with Carat Australia, thought it high time to dig a little deeper, and find out what makes the shining stars of our industry tick and, at times, tock.

So, for the next little while, we will be publishing a series of personal profiles.

Get ready to laugh, cry and be taken on an emotional rollercoaster as we hear more about the industry’s most remarkable marketers.

Optus’ director of customer retention and loyalty, Emma Jensen: The sporty free-wheeler

I am an insight-driven, music-loving marketing leader with a passion for supporting people to move forward on their path.

For me, my light bulb moment was when I realised all you can control in life is yourself and your behaviour – let everything else go. In terms of a career disaster, I don’t reflect on anything as a disaster – I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, but they are all part of the journey.

Thinking back to what I wanted to be when I was 10, it used to change by the week, but an astronaut or professional soccer player were regularly high on the list. At school, I got all As; I was a total geek.Luckily, I was also strong at sport and played on several of the school teams, so avoided being too much of an outcast. I think if I wasn’t a marketer, I’d be a criminal psychologist. I find people intriguing, both the best and worst of!

A brand that makes me jealous with rage it’s that good has to be Apple. The ongoing loyalty it inspires and its commitment to quality and the aesthetic is inspiring! Though I am loving my Google Home at the moment, but I can’t go past my iPhone. A piece of tech I simply do not understand is driverless cars, but they are amazing feats of innovation.

The best advice I ever got was, “Don’t just do, be.” I love a good to-do list, so always need to remind myself to find time just to think and be. My best tip for marketing graduates is push yourself out of your comfort zone, whether that’s a new role or working in a new country – give something a crack and, at worst, you’ll learn lots from it to take on your next step.

Thinking about my favourite hero of all time – that’s a hard one! One person who sprang to mind was Alex Ferguson, who managed Manchester United for over 25 years. A straight-talking Scot, he changed and evolved constantly, inspiring his team to deliver consistently great results.

My favourite ad of all time? I’d hark back to my days in the UK and say the Guinness ads; always beautifully shot and managed the skilful trick of making a downside – the length of time it takes to pour – into the selling point. Masterful!