5 Questions with Publicis Groupe CEE Lioness: Joanna Makoladra

As part of Publicis Groupe Central & Eastern Europe (CEE)’s 'Embrace Gender Equity' initiative that was launched during this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8th, the company created a special series 'Publicis Groupe CEE Lioness' designed to showcase and spotlight its many female talent and leaders across the CEE region, celebrating their experiences and important roles they play within the company. Get to know the Publicis Groupe CEE Lionesses through their stories in this series.

1. Can you share your story with us, how have you gotten to where you are today in your profession? 

Joanna> From a young age, my strong suit and passion have always been science. I have tried to ‘quantify’ the world around me, even when it seemed impossible. This naturally led me to an analytics career in my adulthood. I studied both economics and management, in the field of computer science and econometrics. Then my first job basically ‘found’ me - given that I was recruited at my university. The manager of Starcom (a part of Publicis Groupe Poland)’s analytics team at that time was seeking assistants, and I was recommended for the role by my lecturer. That was back in January 2012. Since then, I've been putting to practical use the analytical and econometric methods I learned at university as I climb the career ladder at Publicis Groupe Poland.

A turning point for me was 2016 when I received a chance from my managers to broaden my skillset by getting the role of a web analyst (and partly traffic campaign), and later - taking on the role of business integration manager on behalf of the Data Science team supporting Performics clients. My duties included, among other things, adapting the analytical and technological offer to the client's needs, translating analytical results and technological nuances into business language, participating in pitches, and being an advisor to our clients. And that's when I discovered that combining knowledge, analytical experience with business skills, creating a product specifically suited to the client's needs, and establishing business relationship is something that gives me immense satisfaction and drives me to action. In 2020, after returning from a year-long maternity leave, I got the chance to lead the Data Analytics team - a role that perfectly aligned with my career aspirations. Hence, here I am today 😊

2. What has been your most memorable experience in your career so far? 

Joanna> In 2022, I successfully executed the most advanced analytical project in the history of our team for one of the key clients of Publicis Groupe Poland. It was an unforgettable experience in many ways. On an almost daily basis, I had to prepare successive iterations of the proposal, along with the changing scope of work. And each time, these were extensive materials supported by case studies, visual representations of expected outcomes, descriptions of the methodologies and technologies used. At the same time, my team was resolving technological and methodological issues and conducting solution testing.

After the selection of our proposal, we were faced with an equally challenging task - implementing the project under incredible time pressure. The scale of this project required the involvement of nearly the entire Data Analytics team in the initial analysis phase, and any delays at this stage could have resulted in missing the delivery deadline.

In the project's second phase, we had to fine-tune an already extensive optimisation algorithm to meet the client's specific needs. This resulted in creating the most advanced solution available in the market (and arguably, globally), accounting for all aspects and ensuring the possibility of implementing recommendations. The team gave 1000% of themselves! And the project has proven to be such a great success that this year we are implementing it on an even larger scale. 

Besides the satisfaction I gained from finishing this project successfully, I realised how blessed I am to work with such skilled and dedicated people - who not only enhance the development of new products and foster innovation within the company but are also the best team players. This whole experience reinforced my belief that a manager's effectiveness reflects her/his team's skills and collaboration. 

3. Similarly, what was the most challenging moment and how did you overcome it?

Joanna> The year 2020 marked my return from maternity leave and my transition into a new role as the team manager of data analytics. This brought the multi-fold challenge of adapting to a new work reality during a pandemic and full-time remote work, as well as taking on managerial responsibilities of building a team. I had the task of enriching this team with new talents possessing the necessary skills to create competitive solutions for our clients in a rapidly evolving environment. 

This was a significant trial for me, but as it turned out, it was the greatest opportunity life had offered me. We were successful in building a cohesive team of outstanding individuals who never cease to amaze me with their knowledge, skillset, determination, and creativity. And this team collaboratively developed a pioneering product in the industry.

4. What are your most important tips on achieving success?

Joanna> It's important to keep in mind that we all differ from each other in terms of talents, character, needs and work style. This diversity is the backbone of a strong team. My experience so far has shown me that it's worth trusting your colleagues, allowing them to spread their wings. You should also have faith in your own abilities, your expertise, and your competences. Sometimes indeed, the sky is the limit 😊 Don't give up, with determination and hard work you can achieve anything. Demand no less from yourself than you do from others. And finally, don't blindly follow beaten paths. Question, challenge - strive for more efficient strategies and methods, be creative and dare to swim upstream. Sometimes great success can arise from a seemingly insignificant situation😊

5. What are your tips for younger female talent embarking on the journey you’re already on?

Joanna> I believe that we women are destined for success in this industry 😊 Let's believe in our own competencies - in our innate talent to juggle many things at once, in our capability to balance work and personal life. With the natural ability to build relationships, our creativity, looking for ways and not reasons! 'Analytics' and 'Econometrics' are feminine (at least in Polish 😊).