Corey Evans. Manager, Sponsorship, Community Investment & Experiential Marketing. WestJet

Corey’s job reminds us that companies don’t have to separate their business objectives from their community efforts. Authentic campaigns that ‘plan for the effect, not the results’ are supremely powerful- case in point WestJet’s Christmas Miracle. Corey’s focus on content marketing provides a unique perspective, but it’s his insight on leadership and hard work that inspire us most.

What does your job entail including what a typical day might be like?

My role at WestJet is to manage our national programs in regards to Sponsorship, Community Investment (CI) and Experiential Marketing (XM).  I manage a team of seven amazing people which includes three on the CI side and four on the Sponsorship/XM portfolio. My chief responsibility is to develop the long term plan in all three areas.  For the most part, I try to remove barriers for the team and create an environment where we hold nothing back in an effort to tell our stories and those of our partners.

Can you briefly describe your career path and how you got your current job?

I graduated with a Bachelor of Recreation Management from Acadia University.  I worked as the Special Event Coordinator at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary for a number of years before moving over to WestJet first with their internal event team and then leading the Sponsorship and Community Investment programs. Following the success of our online content pieces and promotional activations we created the Experiential Marketing program to further develop unique activations into our marketing mix.

What’s the coolest part about your job and what’s the biggest challenge?

The coolest part of my job is being given the freedom and opportunity to do unique and innovative projects.  The biggest challenge is continuing to find new ways to do that while building on past successes.

What advice would you give to a job seeker looking for meaningful work?

I am a strong believer in people who are builders. They take a problem find a solution and build on it to grow a program or role. Leaders should find out what their team members are really good at and build the job around them.

To job seekers I would say stop looking for meaningful work and make your work more meaningful. Build it and take some risks. You may have to move on but you may also be able to bring some change to where you’re at now. If it was easy, it would have already be done.  Show them it can be done. It can be frustrating.

What can you identify as the biggest opportunity in your sector right now?

The world is a big place and we have never had the ability to reach people in so many different ways.  Those who find a way to be part of the conversation will be successful and the biggest opportunity right now is to find a voice in the conversation.  I sound like a LinkedIn Meme 🙂 It really is a smaller world now- and that is exciting.