People Spotlight

Jimmy Kuo, Managing Director Key Accounts, Carat Shanghai

Hi Jimmy, can you let us know a little bit about yourself and how you got to your current role?

I grew up between Taipei and NYC, and after graduating from NYU in 2000, I decided to go back home to Taipei from New York. The first person I met was a senior sales rep for a major TV station in Taiwan. She recommended that I should go become a media planner and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve spent my entire career in Asia, having worked in Taipei, Beijing, and now currently in Shanghai, all in media agencies. I’m currently the Managing Director of Key Accounts at Carat Shanghai.

What is it about your area of business that really interests you?

Frankly, what interests me about our industry is not media planning but rather solving marketing challenges, especially during pitch assignments. I get a lot of pleasure from deciphering the pitch brief and seeing the real marketing challenges that are not obvious on paper. Also, we get to work with so many different clients from so many different industries, it really keeps your interest level up learning about new categories.

What is one career-defining moment for you so far?

I have a few but I think if I have to choose one then it has to be my decision to move to mainland China and starting in Beijing instead of Shanghai, where the majority of expats go. It’s just such an exciting and interesting market to work in. Never a dull moment!

And finally, what is your greatest piece of advice for those who would like to be a leader one day?

I believe that if you can develop the ability to build consensus through influence rather than through authority it is a more rewarding way of working. Perhaps this is something that is only applicable to Asia, but I’ve certainly found that this has been the best approach for driving collaboration and for people to go the extra mile to deliver better work.