Beyond the Desk featuring Derek Oles, Director Paid Search, dentsu X US

Welcome to Beyond the Desk by dentsu X, a series designed to dive into the people, passions, and talents that make the agency so special.

For December's edition, we hear from Derek Oles, a director of paid search. Learn more about his career journey at dentsu X in the Q&A interview below.

Q> What is one skill they do not teach you in school that you use every day?

Derek> I'd say it's a set of soft skills such as communication, emotional intelligence, and empathy. Whether it's with client partners or coworkers, it's important to be able to read people in situations, gauge and manage your emotions throughout challenges and articulate your thoughts into words. One might get the foundation of those skills in school, but I believe these are skills you get substantially better at over time. 

Q> How has your career evolved since joining dentsu X?

Derek> I've had the opportunity to work my way up from a senior media manager to a director in just a few years. I’ve gone from uploading ad copy, bulk sheets and doing manual bid adjustments to becoming a trusted adviser for your client.  Now I am driving strategy, fostering team culture and facilitating development. I think one other thing that we've all had to go through was the transition from in-office to remote. For me personally, this is something that has enabled me to be more effective and has most definitely improved my work-life balance.

Q> What is your favourite aspect of dentsu X?

Derek> The people for sure. I have loved being surrounded by such a positive and intelligent community. When you get to work with great people, that gives you motivation and opens opportunities to learn.

Q> Tell us about an accomplishment you're most proud of during your time at dentsu X?

Derek> I've been on the same account since I started back in 2019. I'm incredibly proud of the growth we've been able to create for our clients. We've been able to implement new strategies, tactics, processes, and tools, enabling us to effectively triple the revenue we've generated for our client just from paid search. In addition to that, the relationships I've been able to cultivate with my teammates, past and present, and the fun-natured environment we've maintained, is something I'm proud of.

Q> What is something unique about you, your background, or your role that you bring to the dental X community?

Derek> I have a bit of an eclectic background because I didn't go to school for marketing. Originally, I went to school for web development, and then business management. After that, I worked for my dad's software development company, where I did technical support and quality assurance, and really got to see how the business was run. From there, I decided to venture out into sales, which is where I was first introduced to marketing and advertising. All of this finally led me to the path of paid search. I went through the gambit of experiences before finally finding my home at dentsu, and I think that's given me an advantage as I've progressed through my career.

Q> Dentsu X is powered by ____

Derek> I would say it's the people. You learn from everybody, and everyone is able to bring something new to the table.