Marcus Wareham

BA (Hons) Business Studies, 1992

We interview the Global Business Account Manager for Facebook – Business Studies graduate, Marcus Wareham.

Q. So Marcus, your job title sounds very impressive! What does being a Global Business Account Manager involve?

Facebook currently generates most of its revenue from the sale of marketing solutions to larger advertisers around the word. My job is to support the leaders of the advertising sales and business development functions across Europe in business strategy, sales planning and resource planning.

Q. What does a typical day look like for you?

Everybody says there is no such thing as a typical day, but at Facebook the rate and speed of activity is so fast that I can honestly say that no two days ever look the same. Some of the key activities I get involved in though are: sales channel segmentation planning (we operate three sales channels), resource planning, sales account planning, operating reviews or shaping the ever-changing sales narrative. Out in the field I can be speaking at client events or supporting other key commercial partners.

Q. With 500 million active users, Facebook is leading the way in social networking. What is it like working for such an innovative and ground breaking organisation?

I’ve been fortunate enough to work for some great companies in the digital sector but I can honestly say that Facebook is quite unique in the scope of its influence and speed of innovation. I think it’s fair to say that we are only at the beginning of a huge change whereby companies are starting to organise their business functions around people.

Q. You graduated in 1992 with a BA (Hons) Business Studies. What are your memories of studying at Wolverhampton?

I chose Wolverhampton because I wanted to live away from home and meet new people from different parts of the country. I also knew that I wanted to do a business related degree – Wolverhampton ticked both of those boxes. I remember being impressed by the Business School campus and I really had the most fantastic experience, enjoying my course, meeting great people, and the Students’ Union was the best. Most of my very best friends now are friends that I made during my time at Wolverhampton.

Q. How do you think your degree prepared you for your career?

I’d say that compared with say A-levels, my degree prepared me more for real life situations that you encounter in the workplace. Ultimately employers are looking for individuals who solve problems and drive the business forward. My degree gave me the foundation and confidence to understand both the theoretical and practical problems that businesses face throughout their operations, from Human Resources to Operations Management and Corporate Strategy.

Q. You have a very senior role at Facebook; has reaching the top always been your dream?

I’m not quite sure I’ve reached the top – I’m still learning lots which is why I love my current role. It’s always good to be ambitious and motivated. This usually comes naturally if you work towards being in a business sector and an environment with the right kind of people where you can flourish and succeed.

Q. Over 50% of Facebook users log on in any given day. Do you think social networking sites are changing the way people communicate with each other?

Facebook is all about communication and engagement but I’d say that it’s people rather than social sites that are driving the change. If you want to look at how communication is evolving, just look at younger people. Although it will have its uses, email is going the way of the fax. It’s being superseded by less formal, more instant, methods of communication (text, instant messaging etc). Platforms like Facebook will take all forms of digital communication and aggregate them into a seamless communication service driven by the needs of its users.

Q. You’ve obviously achieved a great deal since graduating. What do you think is your greatest professional achievement?

I think my greatest achievement lies ahead, but up to now it was probably establishing the sales team for (at the time) the UK’s first and biggest ISP/Portal (Freeserve) in the very earliest days of the Web as we know it.

Q. What advice would you give today’s graduates?

Interpersonal skills are just as important as academic success and work experience. It’s really important to be as flexible, positive and helpful as possible as these are characteristics that create a culture of collaboration and an environment for success. I know it’s a cliché, but staying in contact with people that you work with (even notionally through social networks) will pay dividends when it’s time to look for that next position.

Q. Who do you admire?

I admire Tim Berners-Lee who invented the Web, which has really changed everything, and of course the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg whose vision and technology is really changing so many aspects of people’s lives.

Q. We have to ask – are you on Facebook?

Of course – what a question!