Meet Adeoye Davies!

Adeoye recently joined the UK sales department at Criteo, and we couldn’t wait to meet him. We talked about his transition from agency to sales, his sales tips and vision, but also Black History Month, and his views on race, ethnicity, and allyship. Have a good read!  

Nice to meet you Adeoye. You’ve joined Criteo recently so, first things first. How is everything going so far? 

Good! It's been about two months since I moved from agency over to sales. It's quite a different landscape and work approach compared to what I used to do back in my agency days. I'm still getting used to understanding everything. I've met a lot of people from different departments and locations, which was interesting to navigate around. It's been a good experience, and the transition has gone smoothly so far. Hopefully, it'll continue. 

I see you're based in London. Are you from there? 

I was born in London, but my mom wanted to raise us in a more tranquil environment, so we moved to Kent when I was 14. 

How do you handle your new responsibilities as Sales Manager?  

I've always loved client-facing roles as I'm very into human interactions. In a way, my job is to get creative, assess potential blockers, and pitch new ideas while putting myself in clients’ shoes to identify what possibilities the current media landscape can offer them. Working in customer relationships is like a constant chess match. You need to be present without invading; One thing I've learned is that no one likes to be bombarded with information. You must be subtle and adapt yourself constantly. 

What do you like the most about working in sales? 

To be honest, it’s quite lucrative and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t play a role. But mostly, I’ve always been able to develop close relationships quite quickly with people. Many people I used to work with are now my clients, so I'm already familiar with their real challenges, needs, and the nature of their business. I try to have an approach as client-centric as possible. I don’t see the point of delivering a well-rehearsed pitch. Instead, I like to ask them first what they expect and need from me. That way, you get to the real thing faster and it’s a real time-saver for everyone!  

Any tricks salespeople should know beforehand to make their life easier?  

It definitely helps to be comfortable around people and adaptable in the face of unpredictable events. Also, you need to be surrounded by people you trust and who can support you, providing you with the data or information you need to close the deal. People you can truly rely on! You need to be aware that there will be some hustling, and moments of rush; Things might then get a bit difficult. So, it’s all about balancing expectations. When working with clients, there are risks you need to be able to assess and anticipate. Also, bear in mind that your performance and personality by extent are going to be judged, and put into figures and numbers. 

You need to have a good work-life balance to absorb these peaks of activity, I imagine... 

Honestly, when working in an agency, work-life balance wasn’t something I considered. It wasn’t something we discussed among ourselves. But lately, I've come to realize how important it is. Since I joined Criteo, I feel I have more autonomy and less pressure. Before, if a client asked me something at 5.30, I had to respond right away, which impacted my personal life and balance. I believe the question of work-life balance is making progress in various fast-paced environments, but it takes time as it requires a change of perspective and culture. 

And talking about employee wellbeing, what do you need to feel good at work? 

Three things mostly. First, you need to be working with a group of people that you feel comfortable with. Second, to feel that there is support from your colleagues and managers. At work, like in life, you’re going to go through rough patches, so it’s essential to feel comfortable enough to express how you feel. That’s why I think it’s important to create opportunities where people can come together outside of work and get to know each other. And third, you need to feel valued. 

Have you already joined an ERG here at Criteo? 

Not at the moment, as I’ve been 100% focused on my onboarding, but it is something I'd be interested in. I like having a sense of community, sharing experiences, and getting new ideas. It's also a good chance to network and connect with people who might share your interests. I have my journey, but perhaps someone had similar challenges or experiences. It’s always beneficial to learn from others’ stories. 

How do you feel about communities like BIPOC, Women at Criteo, and so on?  

I feel having a sense of belonging is essential. When joining underrepresented communities, you meet people who experience similar circumstances and there is a mutual understanding there. You have your life, your story, we all come from different backgrounds and yet, we’re all connected because we can relate to the same reality. It’s essential to be in a place where you feel safe and free to tell your story.  

Do you think these communities should be open to outsiders?  

That’s a good question! I think in a way, we need both. We need a place where people can feel like they belong while acknowledging that we must evolve together and educate outsiders about our challenges so they can change their ways of doing and thinking too. It’s important to spread the word beyond because the issues I face don’t just affect me. Besides, experiences are similar but they’re not all the same. If I take the black community for instance, my experience as a black man won't necessarily be the same as a black woman’s. The issues I face as a person from Nigeria can be different from someone from Kenya or Jamaica. I’ve experienced various issues that pertain to my race and my story isn’t that uncomon, unfortunately. I mean, it’s unique to me but not unique in general. What’s important is to ensure these issues now pertain to a wider audience to create an understanding on both sides. We need to have safe spaces for people who need to share, and people open to listening and learning. Not knowing isn’t a bad thing. The big thing is to ask questions. 

What stands in the way of a more generalized understanding?  

Education and exposure are key! And we mustn’t underestimate the part that media play in today’s interactions. It’s about both individual and shared responsibility. You need to look within and ask yourself what type of world you want to live in. Do you want to live in a world where you can blame people based on looks, history, heritage, ethnicity, race, and so on? I believe many people are willing to discuss these matters and find resolutions, and this should be encouraged and promoted too.  

Are celebrations like Black History Month a first step toward more general knowledge? 

These celebrations are important, that’s for sure, however, they should be a theme, not a chapter. There are still too many people who don’t know this month is Black History Month. Genuine diversity is about telling the global story, but also about sharing the untold stories that are specific to the country you come from. Like, there is a black culture but the way one was raised as a Nigerian isn’t how others were raised in Angola or Jamaica, you know? We speak different languages, and we have different histories and cultures. It’s important to acknowledge that as well. It’s multifaceted and one month can’t encapsulate all that. 

What about the concept of allyship? 

I’m still unsure if this is the right term for it. What I think is that people, nowadays, fear getting into the spotlight and being labeled. It takes courage to stand your ground and defend a person, especially in the workplace. Perhaps, many people aren’t comfortable with the way a boss is talking to an employee, but they fear for their career if they speak up. For some people, it’s harder to shy away from their integrity than others. It’s not easy going out of your comfort zone, and that’s why it should be encouraged. We should protect those who dare speak out in the face of injustice.