Ryan Stack

1. Tell us about the business you work for and its mission

I work for Signzy, which specializes in creating and enriching digital onboarding experiences; helping Financial Institutions and other companies reduce fraud, costs associated with digital onboarding, and customer drop-off during digital onboarding journeys while improving turnaround times and automation.

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2. What attracted you to working in marketing originally?

Originally, I wanted to work in business, but wanted to avoid sales because I despised cold calling and, 'didn't want to annoy people'. Obviously, I have learned there can be a lot more to sales, but marketing is what I love doing - the amount of different things you can specialize in under the marketing umbrella and the way in which, if done well, marketing can positively impact a businesses success.

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3. What was your path to becoming a marketing leader?

I was very lucky to start my career with a small company that put me in charge of all their marketing. This gave me a solid base of knowledge to build off of. From there, I have always been willing to work on pretty much everything under the marketing umbrella, sharpening my knowledge across the board. What each company is looking for in a marketing leader can vary greatly, so having a large amount of tools in your belt can help you fit what different companies need.

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4. What are the core skills and experience required for your position?

I think this can vary greatly based on the company you are working for. At a very high level though, the ability to be flexible and have a broad base of knowledge to pull from are helpful. Outside of general marketing knowledge, the ability to build out go-to-market plans and budgets are two important skills that are critical and maybe less obvious.

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5. Who are the key players every marketing leader should have in their team?

When building out a team, it can vary based on your own strengths and what your goals are as a marketing department, however I think a digital marketing position is extremely important with how necessary a strong online presence is. From there, I would also suggest that a communications professional is important in telling a strong, coherent story while creating thought leadership - Chat GPT isn't quite there yet. After that, additional positions should be evaluated by business need.

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6. What qualities do you look for when hiring for a marketing team?

Because of my management style and workload I prefer a team that is able to operate autonomously with minimum oversight. Outside of that, I find it most useful to hire for abilities I am less strong in to build out the strongest marketing team possible. I also like to seek out viewpoints that vary from mine, as I am a firm believer that having different opinions in a team setting can yield more thoughtful and solid outcomes.

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7. Tell us what you love most about working in marketing

I think this is two fold for me - first, I love the ability to tell a story in a way that resonates with your audience. Seeing leads come in based purely on my efforts makes me feel amazing. The other thing I love is the variability. I am typically tasked with wearing quite a few hats, which leaves my day-to-day looking very different. I really enjoy that variance and having something new and fresh to do each day.

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8. What advice would you give to someone wanting to develop a career in marketing?

Learn as much as you can. I truly believe the ability for me to do so many different things in marketing has been what has allowed me to advance my career. Aside from that, a passion for what you are doing will always lead to a better quality of work and enjoyment in your work life.

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9. What do you do to relax in your free time?

Challenging things that in no way resemble relaxation for most people. I enjoy running up mountains, kayaking, hiking, rowing, running, swimming, among other activities. I love working out and doing outdoor activities that challenge myself both physically and mentally!

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10. Which essential item do you always pack for a business trip?

Suits. Know your audience! I actually vastly prefer more casual dress, however when focusing on Financial Institutions, it is more important to meet customer expectations. Aside from that, running shoes are typically a must-pack and as soon as I get to the hotel I always go out and get a jug of water to make sure I am sufficiently hydrated - you have to be feeling great to perform great!

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