Dyza Portugal is a smart, no-nonsense Strategic Planning Senior Manager at AnyMind Group in the Philippines. As a big sister to the strategic team, she makes sure each team member functions efficiently and that brands make the most out of their campaigns online.
In this exclusive interview, she’ll guide us through her responsibilities as a Strategic Planning Senior Manger, walk us through her experiences before becoming one, and reveal the crucial skills you need to be successful in her role.
1) Please share with us your background before joining AnyMind Group. I started working in 2006 then stumbled upon and fell in love with Digital Marketing in 2009 and never stopped learning since then. I left PH and lived in Thailand for 2 years to follow my passion for teaching and got a job in a 4 star hotel as an E-Commerce Strategist. My last job made me a one man Media Strategist for specific time periods within my 4 years stay there but I got to work with amazing fellow Strategists, a great team and lovely clients.
2) What do you do in your job role, and how does it fit into the wider range of AnyMind Group’s business? I am the big sister of the team: I have 11 more little sisters and brothers. We make magic through words! We make sure people spend their money wisely on ads they see online! I’m responsible for giving homeworks to my sibs and supervising and guiding them to make sure their homework is done and with good quality. What I do everyday helps in meeting new people and closing new deals! We’re the stagehands to the big show on stage and when we’re out there to present, we do it with all our heart! Sounds fun to a 5 year old but definitely more fun and challenging in real life.
3) What is an often misunderstood aspect of your job role? I think some would think the job is easier because we’re a bigger group compared to the rest. But having 4 different sub-teams: D2C & Media Strategy, Strategy Planning, Community Management & CSR and PH Ops & Media Buys is very challenging and requires a lot of support, monitoring and motivation to keep everyone on track and going. I’m just grateful that each team member always works proactively, above and beyond. This is a fun team that’s why workloads and deadlines are bearable and a lot better.
4) How has your time been at AnyMind so far? What are the things that stand out to you about the company? I’ll celebrate my 2nd work anniversary this July and I’m happy and grateful to see my team grow from 3 to 12 strong members. We are winning pitches and working on a lot of great BAUs. APH made me realize that I can freely decide for my team, whatever will work best. X has a big trust in his leads and it makes me confident about my leadership style. What makes APH stand out is the diversity, inclusivity and equality and the way each team supports each other may it be a pitch or a BAU.
5) How is it like working as part of your local team and also as part of the wider regional unit? What are the unique quirks or habits of the team? Strategic Planning Team is composed of youngsters (I’m a young at heart!) who are hungry for learning and overflowing with creative ideas. Usually, we’ll chat about funny things or share personal stories that will balance out what we are working on. We love teasing each other in group chat or making things light through memes or funny stories. It makes us feel so alive and energized since it’s like a work-life balance activity. As part of the wider regional unit, it’s almost the same. We just want to show our funny side to others so we reply and exchange chat messages to change the mood or vibe.
6) What are some key traits that you feel people in your role should have, and why? Hmmmm. A lot. It takes patience, understanding, open mindedness, being proactive and fast and always being on top to make things happen in Strategic Planning. Here in APH, we service all, if not, the majority of the teams/departments and honestly, it’s always a challenge to supervise and manage workloads and deadlines. Leading the Strategic Planning Team requires these qualities because working with different departments is one thing and winning pitches and delivering the best BAUs is another.
7) What is one AnyMind platform that you cannot do without, and why? I feel like it’s AnyTag. This is the only direct AnyMind platform that I use if I need to. It gives me the details about KOLs and campaigns of brands that we use for competitive analysis – very helpful to understand the initiatives of brand and competition when it comes to IM.
8) What is that one favorite local food that you would like to introduce to readers?
No doubt, it’s the Yema Cake of my partner’s hometown, Quezon Province. Well it originated from a different city but the taste is to-die for. If you’re a fan of sweets and something on the milky and cheesy side, this sponge cake and yema (Yema is a sweet custard confectionery from the Philippines. It is made with egg yolks, milk, and sugar) icing topped with lots of cheese is for you!
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