Career path MMHK

Jeremy Woolf
Managing Consultant
Text 100 Hong Kong

First job ever?

At 11 I had a paper route, delivering the Evening Post in Wellington, New Zealand.

First job in marketing?

Freelance radio copywriter for Wellington's The Breeze and More FM.

Best job you've had?

Hard to pick one job, as I've had many since starting with Text 100 in 1999. I've been an account director in Sydney, global methodology lead, key client advocate... and now Hong Kong managing consultant and Asia Pacific peer media lead. Each came with its own challenges, and its own rewards.

Worst job you've had?

My paper route. My career in news ended abruptly during a particularly windy day in which my papers vanished care of a howling southerly. It has scarred my psyche forever and led to a pathological fear of newspapers.

Perks of your current job?

Text 100 has a wonderful HR initiative called ‘Duvet Days'. You get two days a year in which you can call in and let the team know you're spending the day under your duvet. No questions asked...

Marketing professionals you admire?

Richard Branson. He wears his brand on his sleeve.

Best career advice?

When concerned that I wasn't doing enough for my clients, my then boss asked me, "Are you clients happy?" to which I replied "Yes." He asked "Is your boss happy?" to which I replied "Yes.". "Then," he asked, "What are you worried about?" A good lesson in managing my own expectations.

Why a career in public relations?

My creative job at a radio production studio turned into an admin job. I was hired by a small PR company as a corporate journalist, and it stuck (though I couldn't even spell P.R. at the time).

If you weren't in marketing what would you be?

I'd be trying to eke out a living as a writer, carefully sculpting every word of the great New Zealand novel.

How do you relax?

I spend Sunday mornings wakeboarding in Tai Tam Harbour. Nothing like a couple of early face plants to cure the hangover.