Nikola Rudic, Data & Marketing Effectiveness Director, Merkle (Dentsu)

In order to help current students and recent graduates to find their way in the working world, many of our alumni shared their career story. Here the story of Nikola Rudic, Director of Data & Marketing Effectiveness at Merkle (Dentsu) in Singapore. USI Degrees: Master in Management, 2012 and Bachelor in Economics, 2009.

How did you start your career?

I started my career in Singapore at Foodpanda, in sales support. The role didn't sound very glamorous, tech startups were not as popular back then as they are today, and Foodpanda was an unknown 6-month-old company. Nonetheless, I took the job to get a foot in the door, and it later proved to be a good decision.

Why did you choose a career at Merkle (Dentsu)?

I have a very generalist professional profile, having been involved in departments ranging from operations to marketing, and several others in between. In any department, I always strived in roles which required translating business needs into actionable tasks and bridging the gaps between various departments of a company.

This is what ultimately led me to consulting, where I am able to use both my knowledge of the domain as well as people skills in driving meaningful change for our clients. And just like in academia, in the world of consulting, we also have to stay at the forefront of technological innovation. This point overlaps with my personal interests and is therefore my main source of motivation, which is very much needed in the work environment.

What is your current role/duties?

I work with large organizations and help them embark on what's often called a digital transformation journey. The goal of that journey is different for every organization, as is the way to get there, with the different stakeholders involved, teams, and sometimes even their geographical location.

Our client's goals usually revolve around effectiveness and efficiency for their marketing efforts, and ultimately, impact on the bottom line.

To get there, my team and I have to understand the intricacies of stakeholder relationships and their goals before diving into technical solutioning. For some clients, we might act more as project managers with deep expertize, whereas for others, we act as technical architects and chief innovation officers.

In your opinion, what are the qualities necessary for a successful career at Merkle (Dentsu)?

On a top level, being able to engage top-level executives as well as those performing the job on the ground, by understanding the goals and pain points of both.

Additionally, what's needed is to stay up to date with the latest in marketing tech space, coupled with very good time management and context switching skills to avoid burnout and maximize productive output.

What positive aspects and qualities meant most to you during the study programme you attended?

My time at USI, just like for most of the others in the Program, took place during my formative years as a person. And I am grateful that I was shaped by the experiences at USI.

If there's one thing that cuts across all of these experiences, it would be their variety. Variety at USI came from the professors, students and opportunities offered to us as students. Our professors came from all over the world and were not just strong academics but also people with a unique character and a different approach to teaching. The students also had very diverse backgrounds, but perhaps because of Lugano's size, we all lived the same reality and felt close even though there were cultural and social differences among us.

Lastly, it was the opportunities - that of going for an exchange semester and finding part-time job opportunities while still at USI.

What competences and skills acquired in your USI Study Program have been useful/are useful to your professional career?

The USI experience, in its entirety, throughout the Bachelor's and Master's programs, taught me to thrive in different environments and contexts, as well as to juggle multiple responsibilities. From that exposure to variety, I've developed the important skills of agility and flexibility in the workplace, as well as the ability to connect with people from diverse backgrounds.

What is your advice to USI students entering the job market?

There are two pieces of advice I would offer:

1. Use the first few years of your career to explore. You don't have to specialize immediately. As you grow professionally and as your personal interests evolve, you will eventually find your fit - just be sure you are consciously working on finding that fit, as it won't simply land on your plate.
2. First job doesn't have to tick all the boxes. Think about the industry you want to be in, the role within the company, and even the location. Even one tick suffices if you are able to keep that professional drive. The drive is what will eventually take you further.