Life At Nexxen with Jennifer Mandeville

Welcome to our latest installment of Life at Nexxen, a series spotlighting our employees – from their career journeys and go-to advice to the rituals and activities that make up their days here at Nexxen.

This month for Life at Nexxen, we talked with Jennifer Mandeville, Director of Commercial Enablement. Jennifer spoke with us on the importance of being a flexible, purpose-driven manager, how her range of experience has kept her career journey interesting, and the one thing most folks don’t think of when you visit Chicago.

When you received your offer from Nexxen, what was the differentiator that made you decide “Yes, I’m going to take this job?”

My previous roles have mainly focused on media strategy, consumer insights and media measurement. Prior to Nexxen, I hadn’t worked in a dedicated product marketing or commercial enablement role before, so this side of the business was new and exciting to me. I was also thrilled to be moving back into the ad tech sector after being a part of the agency world. Finally, with the merging of Tremor and Amobee pre-Nexxen, I felt that the company had a great deal of opportunity ahead and I wanted to be part of it!

What did you study in college?

Communication and business. I received my undergraduate degree from Albion College (Michigan), and a Master’s Degree in Advertising and Public Relations at DePaul University (Chicago).

Did you go into media strategy roles after graduating?

My career started working in ad sales for Tribune Publishing. My jump into the digital space began as a digital media associate/planner with ESPN Ad Sales. I then took a leap of faith into the ad tech space and spent many years in account, media strategy, consumer insights and leadership roles.

I’ve also experienced working at various advertising and marketing agencies during my career journey, including one of Nexxen’s current data partners specializing in media measurement. While no one usually predicts their exact career path, I have truly enjoyed the wide range of variety and learnings each role has provided me. In some way, shape or form, my roles have continued to intersect and overlap, as the media and ad tech industries evolve.

Can you explain what commercial enablement is?

Commercial Enablement is providing Nexxen commercial teams with the right resources to sell and perform more effectively. We provide scalable solutions to teams, which could include a wide range of outputs including sales collateral, industry perspectives or subject matter expertise, among other things. We often view ourselves as extensions and true collaborators across teams at Nexxen.

Commercial Enablement is a fairly new team and program here at Nexxen. How did you prioritize what pieces to build for this program?

First and foremost, we ask “Who are we working for?” When we think about it, we’re working for our commercial teams and by extension, our customers. The guidepost has been and continues to be “How can we help our teams make better connections with brands, agencies and the industry as a whole?”

Second, it is crucial we collaborate with other teams at Nexxen. While each team plays their own role in the growth and success of Nexxen, Commercial Enablement is involved across a variety projects and initiatives with different teams as we all look at moving forward together.

Finally, a key factor to the Commercial Enablement success is our ability to be flexible and evolve quickly, based on company and industry factors. With ad tech constantly shifting and evolving, our goals and priorities continue to align and shift as well.

As a manager, what advice would you give new managers, or even folks who just want to develop their managerial skills?

My priority is to make my team members come to work each day with a purpose. Whether it be work or personal, I want individuals to feel fulfilled, confident in their abilities and able to contribute in a meaningful way. I believe this creates a positive mindset, leading to a happier work and life.

Get to know individual team members beyond the surface and become their most trusted advocate. Have regular check-ins. Meet in-person (if/when possible). Have virtual or in-person outings. Pinpoint specific strengths that will allow individuals to shine. Help find individual working and communication styles and help them to understand how to work with other teams. Or, simply ask how they are doing and lend an ear. It’s truly amazing what you can uncover to make an organic and lasting connection.

In your free time, how do you unwind? Any hobbies or interests?

I have two kids (10Y and 4Y), so most of my time is dedicated to their activities, which I love being a part of. Our family also travels quite a bit. This is partly to see our extended families, but we also make it a point to take one big family trip per year. We most recently traveled to France, California and Maine together.

So you’re based in Chicago. Are there any spots or activities you’d recommend?

Although we don’t live on a “coast”, we surprisingly have nice beaches in Chicago during the summer, thanks to Lake Michigan. For three short, amazing months, we enjoy as much as we can. Chicago is also a hot culinary mecca, and we enjoy our fair share of celebrity chefs and Michelin-star rated restaurants. My favorites include Frontera Grill (Rick Bayless), Girl and The Goat (Stephanie Izard), Hampton Social and Vie. For drinks and cocktails specifically, The Office is always a winner.