The Fishbowl: Tom Streetley, Global

The Fishbowl

The Media Leader’s interview series asks the media industry’s top salespeople 10 revealing questions, drawn from our fishbowl. The questions will be drawn at random and contain some tricky posers set by the commercial chiefs themselves.

This week: Tom Streetley – Global’s Director of Commercial, DAX Audio.

Streetley has worked at Global for over 11 years and as, director of commercial at the company’s digital advertising exchange (DAX), is responsible for driving and overseeing commercial audio opportunities across both direct and programmatic spend.

Prior to leading on DAX Audio Sales he ran Global’s Data Strategy team.

Why are you passionate about media?

I love working for a business that people love to engage with – including myself! I’m a massive Radio X fan, I listen to The News Agents podcast most days, and in my role in the DAX team, I get to work with exciting partners like Soundcloud and Sky. Lots of businesses don’t have the kind of connection with people that Global does, so I don’t take that for granted.

In terms of media more generally — the pace of innovation is something I find exciting. I love coming out of meetings having heard a really great idea be formed; whether it’s a tech or data opportunity, product development, or a creative campaign.

What’s your best advice for someone who wants to do your job one day?

Be curious, and ask lots of questions.

I’ve been fortunate to work with so many smart and knowledgeable people at Global, and they have been (and continue to be) really generous with their time. If you’re interested in something, even if it’s outside of your remit, I’ve aways found that people are very receptive to sharing what they know.

Who’s your best friend in the industry?

I’ve been lucky to work with some amazing people that have become best mates. If I had to pick just one, it’d be Tommy Cattell — he’s currently our head of transformation for DAX but he’s been at the company for 10 years and we’ve been working together in audio sales for the majority of that time. He’s kind, smart, funny, and an all-round brilliant person.

What’s been your biggest challenge this year and what are you doing about it?

Time management and prioritisation — which is probably similar for most people in the industry. It’s certainly the most common topic I like to pick people’s brains on.

I like to get into the detail, which can be really useful – but isn’t always the most efficient use of time. As a commercial business, we want to maximise the quality time we spend with advertising partners, and being efficient is an important part of that.

If you could change one thing about the industry right now, what would it be?

This links into the previous question — but there’s so much exciting work happening at pace, that it doesn’t always feel like there’s time to reflect and celebrate. Both of which are really important.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a driver. Quite a broad ambition (it could cover a golf buggy to an F1 car!) — but I just loved the idea of driving all day.

Who was your first media lunch with and where did you go?

I genuinely can’t remember. I’m sure it was excellent.

Which three guests (dead or alive) would you invite to a dinner party and why?

I’ve always been quite interested in politics, so I’d probably go with Barack Obama, David Cameron, and Tony Blair.  Some people might find this a dull selection, but I’d love to ask questions about political events I’ve lived through and get a view from them on the other side.

Who are your role models?

I’ve been lucky to work with brilliant role models. One that stands out is Ollie Deane. Ollie was my boss at Global for a large part of my career and he’s a good friend too. I probably (knowingly or unknowingly) act based on something I’ve learned from Ollie on a daily basis.

One thing that’s always stuck with me is putting people first, and prioritising kindness even in challenging situations.

What moment (or event) was the biggest turning point in your career?

I moved from a sales role to a data role in 2020 and it was challenging, with a steep learning curve, but it was invaluable. The skills I learned, and the knowledge I picked up, have enabled me to deliver in the role I’m in now.

It comes back to the curiosity point I mentioned earlier — I was keen to broaden my knowledge, and whilst it was an uncomfortable jump to make, I wouldn’t change it.

Read more Fishbowl interviews here and see what media’s top salespeople say about working in the industry and what concerns their clients. To suggest an interviewee, contact [email protected].