Tag Archives: employee spotlight
1. What is your role at CM? How do you spend your days?
I’m an Account Manager on the Nissan USA account based in Nashville. I spend my days equally divided as a quarterback, cheerleader, referee, defensive line and offensive tackle. I’m never on the sidelines. (Sorry for the sports analogy).
2. What is the greatest thing about CM culture?
I think the greatest thing is you’re really able to chart your own career path. If there’s something that interests you, I’ve found management is pretty open. You can go to them with an idea and they’ll say, “Ok, make it happen.”
3. What drives you? What are you inspired by?
I’m driven by passionate people. People who zig when others are zagging. I love it when people share my philosophy of “it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission…”
4. What was your greatest accomplishment of the past year?
1. What is your role at CM?
I am a Front End Developer on the Infiniti account in our Toronto office. On a day-to-day basis we are either expanding the current system to accommodate all the nifty things the clients want or fixing bugs (doh).
2. What drives you? What are you inspired by?
I love programming. It’s as simple as that. Being able to tweak a tiny little line of code and instantaneously see the results that it brings to the screen is inebriating. Programming is a delicate mix of science and art, requiring perseverance and creative thinking to be successful. Being a programmer is a constant strive to optimize, refactor and make the solution perfect. The thirst for perfection drives me.
3. What are your passions/interests outside the workplace?
My interests outside of work all mostly have something to do with music. I play in bands, play solo, produce music, whatever I have time for. Other than that, I just love spending time with my cats, my family, my girlfriend and my friends. You know.. the usual!
4. What is the greatest thing about CM culture?
People talk to each other. At a lot of other places people will bang their heads against the wall trying to find a solution to a problem, instead of simply walking over to their coworkers and asking their opinion. At CM, no one is afraid to ask a question and everyone is willing to lend a hand.
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Enjoy this month’s Employee Spotlight with Steve Habbi from our Calgary office.
1. What is your role at CM? How do you spend your days?
As as Senior Planner on the Nissan USA account I spend my days thinking about video games, race cars, tuners and the occasional mini van…I am being serious. I try to think like the consumer and create experiences that I wish were served up to me. I ground my insights on solid research foundations and rigorous debate with creative and tech folks (and sometimes clients). I also apply common sense to planning and ask “So What?” as often as possible. I believe our job is to create value for our clients and therefore consumers, so if ideas don’t pass the “So What?” and common sense test it’ll probably get cut.
2. What is the greatest thing about CM culture?
CM culture is refreshing and invigorating. I truly mean that. Having worked as a freelancer before coming here, my day-time social life was a bit lacking. I often describe CM as being much like life at university; that being a casual place where ambitious and intelligent people gather to work hard, create, collaborate, have a good laugh then head over to the pub.
3. What drives you? What are you inspired by?
I’m driven to do the best work I can. I try to make a big impression and hope to be sought out to work on even better and more exciting projects. Life just isn’t that exciting when I’m not challenged and can’t see the bigger opportunity up ahead. Fortunately, CM provides that environment and I try to take full advantage.
This year we’d like to take a bit of time to show off some of our talent here at Critical Mass. We are incredibly proud to have the best people in the industry, who also happen to be some of the best musicians, parents, athletes, friends, chefs, gamers, artists and beer- consumers. To share a bit of what makes CM special, we’ll serve up these Employee Spotlights with individuals from across all disciplines and offices. For January, allow us to introduce Reza Kay.
1. What is your role at CM? How do you spend your days?
I’m Head of Design at CM London. Part of my day normally consists of reviewing the briefs, estimates and design work going through the studio. Aside from the more administrative tasks, I will normally work with the Creative Director who I will collaborate with and then set design direction for every project/pitch. I also work closely with IA, Planning, AM’s and PM’s, and Tech to ensure that the creative and design ideas are always in place. More importantly, a large part of my role is to inspire, collaborate with and guide our designers, and to be a sort of ‘brand guardian’ for our clients… And yes, I do still spend part of most days designing in Photoshop.
2. What is the greatest thing about CM culture?
I think the greatest thing about CM culture has to be the openness, receptivity and friendliness of its people. It’s a company that cares, respects and looks out for its people. It’s the idea that we’re not made up of numbers or ‘staff’, but of individuals and personalities — fostered from the very top — which I believe builds the very foundation of CM culture.
3. What drives you? What are you inspired by?
Wow… what a tough question! I’m driven by my search for perfection and collaboration, though sometimes just perfect collaboration. I’m inspired by many things: the Interweb (obviously!) and it’s every changing disposition; my close friends and family; design, fashion, music, art and architecture (how clichéd!); science and the universe; the smell of spring in the air… Many, many, things really.
