CYBERSECURITY & DATA -This spotlight series features T. Howard Foundation (THF) alumnae working in Cybersecurity and/or Data and Analytics roles.
Evangelia Tzelios (THF ‘15)
Senior Manager, Data Partnerships at The Trade Desk
Please describe your role.
I work at The Trade Desk, which is a Demand-Side Platform in the ad tech industry. Specifically, I’m on the Measurement Partnerships team. I help brands and agencies understand if their digital advertising campaigns achieved their intended goals, such as selling more of a product or making people aware of a new product.
What do you enjoy most about your company?
Everyone at The Trade Desk is incredibly smart but also willing to collaborate and teach you. The company is very invested in growing your tactical, industry-specific skills as well as your general professional skills.
In what way did this type of work interest you and how did you get started?
I worked at a company in the media and data space, and The Trade Desk was one of the client accounts I’d worked on. At the time, I had no previous exposure to ad tech and found the industry fascinating. Working with The Trade Desk as a client prepared me to apply for a job here.
How has your affiliation with the T. Howard Foundation influenced your career?
The T. Howard Foundation was truly the first time in my life that professionals sat down with me and talked about professional development strategies. I didn’t know what “networking” truly meant (and was a bit scared of it!), and my resume needed feedback. I even remember going to the summer internship conference and a speaker explaining budgeting strategies to me for the first time in my life. Skills I learned with the T. Howard Foundation are the bedrock of every professional experience I’ve had since.
What personal attributes have been essential to your career success?
In any new role I take, I tell my manager that I know I won’t have every tactical skill I’ll need on day one, but they can teach me those skills. What I can promise is that I will be the hardest worker and most invested learner, which are attributes they can’t teach. Making and following through on this promise at each stage of my career has been very important.
If you were entering this career today, how would you prepare to facilitate entry?
Ask for informational interviews with anyone in your network (including your T. Howard Foundation network!). Learn about different people’s roles, challenges, successes, and visions for the future of their industry. Most people are willing to chat with someone who just hopes to learn. And remember that wherever you are today, you have opportunities to grow professional development skills that transfer to any industry.
In one sentence please describe what work/life balance means to you.
Work/Life balance means understanding that each day is not going to be a perfect 50/50 split between work and life! It’s having goals in both areas, and then prioritizing what area needs more attention at the moment.
Are you extroverted or introverted? How does this show up in your professional life?
I am an introvert, but I still love making connections at work. I block off at least an hour a day on my calendar to independently work on tasks without interruption from others, and I value that time to recharge and reflect, but you can be an introvert who still has strong connections with colleagues.
Are you an early bird or a night owl? How does this show up in your working habits?
I am very much an early bird. Working from home during the pandemic has allowed me to spend early morning hours working on projects uninterrupted and then shift to meetings later in the day without worrying about other tasks I need to get done.