Beyond the Desk featuring Marissa Kau, 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 November’s edition, we hear from Marissa Kau, a programmatic manager. Learn more about her career journey at dentsu X in the Q&A interview below.

Q> What is a typical workday like for you?

Marissa> My typical workday always starts in the same way: I make iced coffee every single morning.  I like to start my day fresh, organizing my personal task tracker and prioritizing to-dos, all of which sets me up for success. I really like to check in on everything that's running - campaign health, looking at pacing, performance optimizations, etc. I also make sure to do team check-ins. My schedule is a bit different every day and my number of calls can varies significantly. 

Q> What is your favorite aspect of dentsu X?

Marissa> Essentially the endless number of personal and professional development opportunities from webinars and trainings, to dentsu University classes. I also value the ability to follow personal aspirations into new roles, join new teams, and work across different verticals. I have worked with quite a few clients since I've been here, each with its own new experiences and challenges to learn from. 

Q> What was your first job and what was the most important lesson you learned?

Marissa> This was my first job, beginning as an Associate. I'd say some of the most important skills that I've learned and developed are time management and organization, which I like to pair hand in hand. And then quality assurance. I'm a huge advocate of QA—the importance of it as well as the different processes for it. 

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

Marissa> When I first started, I was an associate. I didn't have very much knowledge and experience. It was my first job and my college degrees focused on the fashion industry. My career has definitely evolved, not only from my specific role but in my knowledge and expertise, especially in my current position. I've had the opportunity to develop more of a leadership role and uncover different aspirations.

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

Marissa> I was nominated for and participated in the Next Gen program from June 2021 to February 2022. NextGen is a digital strategy leadership program developed with Google to help dentsu employees become agents of change. I graduated from the program with distinction. The experience was incredibly rewarding. I worked with new people across the world, and we were really pushed and challenged in the program with intense group projects. The Next Gen work hours are completely outside of our normal work hours, so you hop off your normal work and then you go to Next Gen work. My ways of thinking have expanded and I’ve had multiple opportunities to use what I learned in my day-to-day, it’s been really cool to see it come full circle. 

Q> Dentsu X is powered by ____

Marissa> Teamwork

We are a team of Thinkers, Makers and Doers – committed to defying convention and creating unparalleled experiences for brands. Interested in learning more? Check out the denstu X LinkedIn page here.