Emem Adjah, Leading Spotify's Global Monetization Strategy

September 14th, 2020

Emem Adjah is an advisor, aspiring author, and techy who aspires to change the world, while traveling it. Currently she leads yield monetization strategy globally at Spotify, and is responsible for driving revenue of emerging sales channels through optimization strategies and ad product development. Before Spotify, she acquired ten years of experience in the tech industry working for Twitter, Snap, Bloomberg, and AOL.

In this feature, Emem shares with us how her global experiences impacted her career, the steps she took to switch careers, and her role leading Spotify’s monetization strategy. Read along to soak up her incredible career advice for ambitious women, such as yourself.

Early Career

Early in your career, you worked abroad both at the US Embassy in Singapore and as a Fulbright Scholar in Hong Kong where you taught cross-cultural programming at a local university. How did these global experiences shape the way you approached business and management later on?

My global experience solidified my passion for international business and desire to be an international advisor. There’s a true need for US professionals to be comfortable in non-US environments, knowing how to navigate and connect with others outside of your realm. On a personal level, it’s opened up the number of opportunities I have by expanding my options of where I’d like to work; I have lived in London, Hong Kong, and Singapore but I have also traveled to 30+ countries in my career on behalf of a US corporation. It’s a blessing to be able to do that and it’s been even more of a blessing to gain skills where I can say I have led meetings and deals all around the world. It’s very hard to find that.

After working abroad, you went into financial analytics at Bloomberg. What prompted you to leave the international relations sphere and move into the corporate world, and what advice do you have for young women interested in pursuing an industry shift?

After my Fulbright, I thought I would go into academia and was accepted into a masters program at HKUST in Hong Kong with the goal of getting a PHD in anthropology with a focus on Asia; however, I stopped that once I realized I would have to become fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin, which would be another huge undertaking so I pivoted. In any industry pivot, it’s good not to do two things: limit yourself by looking at role titles and limit yourself by industry. I took inventory of what I was good at - math, computers, and people - and paired that with the following interests:

Working for a global company which would allow me the opportunity to interact with customers and coworkers outside of the US
Fast paced with smart people
A program which would expose me to various parts of the business as I was still trying to figure out what was the best fit
Diversity in the organization itself

Bloomberg fit all of that for me. Therefore when you are searching for a job, let’s say on Linkedin - I would not narrow down my search to job titles or industries you think would work. I would perhaps look at companies you admire and start there, perusing through roles that tap into what you are good at and what your passion is. LinkedIn is also good at recommending similar roles to one’s you are researching so it’s a good jumping off point to identify one company you like which will expose you to others that weren’t on your radar.

Working in Tech

Your role at Bloomberg prompted a decade of working in the tech industry, where you still stand today. What do you love most about working in tech, and what excites you about the industry’s future?

All of the companies I have worked for allow you to make an impact and push you to be a change agent. I like to call it developing an ecosystem of “intrapreneurs” - entrepreneurial spirits within an established organization. It’s awesome to build great ideas on someone else’s resources. I’ve had free reign to construct a roadmap, interact with leadership, drive tons of projects, and that has built my professional confidence. Interviewing is no longer a terrifying activity for me because I know and have the proof to speak to the monetary impact I have made to the company’s bottom line. I’ve worked on deals and seen product features that end up in the press and/or used by millions of people worldwide. It’s exciting to see that.

What excites me about the future of the industry is that there’s more accountability for companies both internally and externally. Not just as a black woman in tech but as a black woman in life, race has impacted a lot of my experiences inside and outside of work. Companies are paying attention to the impact they have and their responsibility when it comes to racial and social dynamics which in the end will hopefully translate to increased investments, opportunities, and quality of life for marginalized communities.

You’ve held various roles at major tech companies (Bloomberg, AOL, Twitter, Snap). When thinking about your career moves, what signs helped you to know it was the right time to move onto the next adventure?

I have a vision board and it includes a professional roadmap, and I will see how I am pacing relevant to this roadmap. Generally you always want to leave on a high note and if I am doing the same projects and it’s either no longer inspiring me, I know myself - my work quality will start to decline and I’ll go from giving 110% to 100% to 90% and so on. My internal threshold is 90% which means I am coasting and at risk of doing sub par work so that’s when I start addressing internally what I can do to fix that or I take it upon myself to start looking for other roles. I really strive to never have a consistent case of the “OMG it’s Monday”. That goes against my value system to complain about a job.

Current Focus

Today, you work at Spotify where you lead yield monetization strategy globally and are responsible for driving revenue of emerging sales channels. What do you find most exciting about your job? What about most challenging?

The best part of my job is being able to drive revenue without having to “sell”. I remember at Bloomberg being encouraged to go into sales because I had an outgoing personality but I hated it. The pressure was too much and I don’t like engaging people with an agenda. However working in a sales strategy capacity I get to optimize the revenue that’s already coming in which is the most exciting part of the job for me. I love numbers and analyzing revenue figures.

The most challenging part of the job is there’s tons going on and leading an amazing team of bright individuals, we are consistently tapped to help and we cannot say yes to everything. There’s always a balance between being a team player and knowing when it’s appropriate to say “no” or even “that’s not my job”. As a manager, it’s a fine line especially when you’re resource constrained but you want to help everyone.

In addition to your day job, you are slated to release a book on job search best practices this year. What is one piece of advice you’d give to young women in their early career who are embarking on the job search process in today’s uncertain climate?

Stop putting companies on a pedestal. There’s a pseudo-”companies are always right” psyche which impacts young women during interviews and negotiations. You are a business as well and they are hiring your services so if you think of interviewing like that then you feel more empowered and confident, viewing each party as two equals. This means you can also say “no” to a job that does not feel right and doesn’t align with your values. This also instills a level of accountability for young women on doing their due diligence and asking the right questions. For example, I have asked potential future managers “When was the last time you promoted someone in the last two years and if you have, what was your contribution to their promotion? If not, why not?”. You are interviewing them too and interviews are a two-way street.

Advice

What do you wish you knew when you were first starting your career?

I wish I had exhausted all resources before leaving a company. I have left great companies in the past without having conversations with my manager or even HR on what options were available to me. It’s a personal flaw of mine but in the spirit of “knowing thyself”, I had a natural tendency to flee situations that are uncomfortable professionally. Especially being a double minority, I felt alone in my struggle so I didn’t chat with my mentors or anyone about how to navigate certain challenges I was facing.

Who is one woman you aspire to be like?

I love Rihanna because she is a multi-faceted force, from her artistry to her business acumen. I aspire to be her because I have many talents I want to tap into such as becoming an author, potentially doing something in fashion in the future, all the while working in tech. She does what she wants, how she wants, when she wants, and she’s shaped industries while being a novice in them. She’s a certified boss.

Emem Adjah is participating as an industry leader in our Grow Your Career Program, a 10-week virtual professional development program for women early in their careers looking for a career change, with virtual support for BCG Digital Ventures Women. Applications close September 20th!