An Interview with Jihyo Kim, Strategic Partnerships Manager

My journey with Remerge began in April 2018. I didn’t particularly set out to join the Adtech scene. I grew up in Seoul and studied International business and negotiation in Paris. During my business school years, I had opportunities to learn about business development and marketing with both small and large companies that weren’t far from being an advertising company or tech company. After graduating, I worked for an international automobile manufacturer where I managed the partnerships with the vendor partners. It was there that I started thinking about my career path and began looking for a non-traditional and fast-moving industry where I could develop as the next step. By then, my focus region was EMEA, and I had plenty of chances to visit Berlin during my business trips. That’s when I found this lively Adtech scene, and I decided to finish my long relationship with France and move to Berlin to join the industry.

As a Strategic Partnerships Manager, I manage Remerge’s platform and channel partners across the globe. It’s a forward-facing role that requires both an entrepreneurial and product-specialist mindset. From navigating complex organizational roadblocks to troubleshooting for different partners and overseeing a growing pipeline for partnership opportunities, my role at Remerge in the last year and a half has been dynamic, to say the least. My main focus is building and developing a continuous tech-based alliance, and mutually sharing value with different players in all parts of the ad tech ecosystem to drive business growth from the partnership.

The dynamic nature of the industry keeps my work exciting, but at times a rush of new information can be challenging to keep up with. Imagine an important partner making a new announcement - and many things could change within the whole industry.

I personally believe that it’s important (and beneficial) to have a positive outlook on new challenges. Rather than feeling intimidated by these new changes, take them as an opportunity for growth and continuous learning. Don’t shy away from asking questions and be prepared for any upcoming adjustments within a realistic amount of time. I think Remerge’s sharing culture also benefits the whole team. Transparency is one of our core values, not only for partners and clients but also within the team. Everyone is encouraged to share insights and ideas.

I have a miles card by now! Traveling plays a big role, and quality face-to-face time has proven its value for us time and time again. When I’m back in the Berlin HQ, I communicate with partners through multiple channels and try to continuously stay connected with them (there’s a lot of great apps that make communication through different time zones easier!)

Also knowing the different cultures can help strengthen global partnerships. As a Korean who has lived for a long time in Paris and Berlin, I’ve had the experience of working with APAC, EMEA, or US markets. Since each market is different, It’s very important to have different approaches to each partnership.

The industry is always changing, so a lot of players come and go. Some bring out new and innovative products that fulfill changing market needs. Our team continuously keeps an eye on the changes and finds a creative way to adapt and effectively cooperate with different partners, keeping growth in mind. While the changes are fast-paced and sometimes challenging, working with very successful tech partners is the most exciting part of my job.

With our partners, we’re able to exchange different points of view and discuss how to cooperate and drive more value together. In the end, it’s not only an opportunity to work within a fast-growing ad tech company but also a chance to work alongside many smart and inspiring individuals from different companies within the industry.

Having worked in six cities and four different countries, one of the most important things that I learned is that so much value comes from trusted relationships regardless of culture and background. Meeting a lot of people, widening your perspective and building trusted connections both within and outside of the company always pays off in the long run. And lastly, stay confident and accept that not everybody has the same value systems.