Coffee With: AppNexus Account Manager Eric Toribio

Eric Toribio
Location: New York, NY
Job: Account Manager, Publishers, AppNexus
Education: B.A. in philosophy and Spanish, Colgate University
Instagram: @ribs177

Tell us about your path to AppNexus.

After a grueling and inconsistent six months of freelancing in video production, I quickly realized I didn’t want that lifestyle. One of my best friends from college was hired at AppNexus and let me know about job opportunities there. I had no idea what ad tech was, but the idea of working for a thriving tech startup was enticing. Through their referral program, I landed an interview and eventually got my first job at AppNexus working in sales operations.

How did you move into your current role as an account manager?

Almost two years after landing the sales operations role, I transitioned onto a new team and worked as a business support specialist providing pooled account management support to a large client base. From there, I moved into a full-blown account manager role. I’ve learned that diligence and a bit of luck are the keys to career success. Ultimately, you are the CEO of your career and your life.

Tell us about your role at AppNexus.

Our software tools at AppNexus help businesses optimize their digital advertising. As an account manager, I provide my clients with solutions and products that help them execute their advertising strategies. Account management serves as the frontline for clients. I am ultimately a problem-solver helping our clients get the most out of AppNexus. I’m also invested in diversity efforts at AppNexus. I want to see more companies take direct action to close the hiring gaps that plague the tech sector and beyond. Viable solutions include: Establishing demographic quotas, creating scholar or employment programs specifically for underrepresented groups, and incorporating diversity and inclusion initiatives into corporate business strategy to promote the well-being and success of all employees.

How have certain candidates stood out to you during the hiring process?

Great candidates build a narrative - they demonstrate how their desired position fits into the broader scheme of their professional goals. This shows me they are willing to make the most out of working with us in order to push their career forward.

What's something about you and your professional life that people might be surprised to learn?

I have a growing photography business outside of my regular 9-to-5 life. I fell in love with photography by way of food. I began cooking when I was in college because I needed to lose weight. I learned how to make the basics by watching the Food Network and soon became obsessed. After graduating college, that interest snowballed. I would regularly cook for my friends and also worked as a private chef and caterer. So, I decided to start a food blog. I bought my first DSLR camera and dove head first into the world of photography. I don’t have an official company name, but my website is www.erictphotography.com. For my own pleasure, I shoot cityscape and landscape photography. However, the bulk of my client demand is in portraiture and event photography.

Do you have any specific strategies you use to stay productive?

I try to keep my inbox as clean as possible by moving completed email threads to an archived folder. Items that require action stay in my inbox until I can prioritize them. I also stay productive by learning new photography skills. The application of new skills gives me deep personal satisfaction. And, on a less inspirational level, eating delicious food makes me really happy.

What have you read or listened to recently that you’d recommend?

I recently listened to a TED talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie called The Danger of a Single Story. She argues that a lack of diversity leaves individuals with an incomplete understanding of themselves and of others. I especially enjoyed how she wove personal experiences with anecdotal references in order to communicate her ideas.

AppNexus is a Jopwell partner company.

Images courtesy of Eric Toribio/AppNexus.