5 Questions with Publicis Groupe Lioness: Elena Bakum-Ramola

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?

Elena> I started my career on the client’s side. 27 years ago, I decided that to collaborate better with agencies, I should understand the inner workings of the agency.

My plan was to work in the agency world for a year and then return to the client’s side. I started working with Bates Saatchi & Saatchi as a traffic and account manager and never looked back. I found working on the agency side to be much more interesting and exciting. When I started, it was the era of full-service agencies, giving me a great exposure to all fields in marketing and communication.

That experience enabled me to make a conscious decision on the direction to take when the era of specialized agencies arrived. In 2001, I accepted the offer from DMB&B to launch the creative agency brand, D’Arcy in Ukraine as its managing director. The agency went on to become one of the strongest and most awarded in Ukraine. We were bold in creativity, built several local brands, won the business of international clients including Coca Cola (a current client with whom we have been working with for the last 20 years in Ukraine.) As some of you may know, D’Arcy was later re-named to Saatchi & Saatchi.

Since 2017, I’m tasked with the responsibility to build our creative business in Publicis Groupe Ukraine. We brought Leo Burnett into the Groupe and launched two new agency brands -Publicis and MSL. Today, we are also the most creative agency in Ukraine with Saatchi & Saatchi. We are good, but we never stop on the way to creative perfection. This year, I celebrate my 22nd anniversary with Publicis Groupe.

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

Elena> There are many great projects, but the most valuable for me is the work with people. I was lucky to meet many great people and it was a real pleasure to work alongside them. They are my inspiration, my reliable support, my teacher, my friend.

Here is an inspiring story I came across over the course of my career that I’d like to share:

I heard that David Ogilvy used to present a Matryoshka (nesting doll) to every newly appointed CEO. This is a reminder that every leader has a choice how to build their team. If a leader decides to hire people less brave or less qualified than themself, then the leader builds an agency of dwarfs. But, if a leader is brave enough to hire people much stronger than themself in specific expertise, the leader builds an agency of giants. The leader then just needs to find a way to bring all those great people together and inspire them to work towards a mutual goal. It is a great piece of advice that I follow in my work.

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

Elena> The global decision to completely close out D’Arcy network worldwide meant that we had to stop working with all network clients – P&G, Western Union, Phillips, Roche and Merlony. It was not an easy moment.

However, thanks to our focus on growing locally through local business, we not only managed to survive but also became one of the leading agencies in Ukraine. We retained all our local clients and kept all our employees in Ukraine. After three years of successful work, our agency was re-named to Saatchi & Saatchi in 2006 - all thanks to our great team united on the same values, common goals, and the belief that ‘nothing is impossible’ for us. I’m happy that Saatchi & Saatchi today remains to be one of the strongest and the most awarded agency in Ukraine.

Since Feb 24, 2022, when Russia started full-scale war in Ukraine, I’m going through the biggest challenge in my life as it is no longer the mere question of business survival but actual survival for all Ukrainians. So far, we’re going through this dark time with dignity and learned to continue our work despite air raids’ alerts and electricity blackouts. This certainly ranks up there as most challenging but I’ll probably tell more after our victory.

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

Elena> Love what you do or leave this business

• Build your Team of Giants – the synergy of the best talents (who are also decent, reliable human beings)
• Find possibility in every crisis and make it work for you 
• Generously share your knowledge and experience
• Take responsibility for all decisions
• Don’t waste time on hundreds of emails, just bring all stakeholders together for a meeting and find the solution

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

Elena>

• Love what you do or leave this business
• Be brave in the following:     

- trying something new

- asking questions

- speaking up when you've got crazy ideas

- saying 'no' when needed. 

• Never stop learning and practicing what you learn
• Be a reliable team player
• Do not be afraid of clients. We are the experts of our field, that’s why clients come to agencies
• Have time for fun and rest