Introducing … Sebastian Wattam

Meet a Member …

Each eNews, we would like to introduce you to one of our wonderful Chapter Members, through a Question & Answer type interview article.
Therefore, in the hotseat this edition, is Sebastian Wattam, Marketing and Communications Manager at St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill.

1. When and where did your career in education begin?

I was raised in a family of teachers, so I’d like to think my career in education began long ago! My first position in a school was as the Marketing Manager for a girls’ school in the eastern suburbs. I had previously come from a small creative agency in North Sydney, so coming from that into education was vastly different.

2. What interests you most in terms of your role?

I love to write. Finding and writing in the voice of the College, and sometimes of staff members, is fun. I like taking people on a journey through copywriting or creative prose. As nice as it would be for this not to be the case, we still largely make buying decisions based on emotions. If I can hit the right buttons in a sincere manner, I’ve done my job.

3. What do you find the most rewarding part of your job?

If I receive an email from a staff member which reads, “Hi Sebastian, I am currently putting together a poster for my ____ class and I want to make sure I use the right font and colour, can you let me know which is the most up to date colour code?”… my day will be made – even maybe my week!

4. Who is your biggest role model in terms of leadership?

My last boss taught me boatloads about patience and authenticity in the realm of marketing. Researching and identifying the best in-market position for your brand without simply saying ‘our competitor is here so we should be as well’ – a common knee-jerk reaction – is a valuable lesson. Thanks to my last boss, I am better at allaying those kinds of nerves among stakeholders and leading a purpose-driven approach to marketing.

5. What aspect of your role do you love the most?

Finding a creative solution to a design/marketing problem. It’s a great challenge when a project is briefed in the context of: we’ve done it this way for five years, can you help us make it fresh. That’s a good problem to have. It allows me and my excellent team to bring something new to the table and potentially expand the scope of the brand.

6. What are you currently doing that would be of interest to other members in Educate Plus?

Together with the College Admissions Manager, I am reviewing our suite of Admissions comms and touchpoints and working to unify the language and hopefully make for a streamlined onboarding process for new families.

7. Describe yourself in 5 words.

Dilettante, generalist, idealist, auto-didact, cynic.

8. For anyone embarking on a role in Advancement what advice would you give them?

If it’s Advancement in schools and not agency, government, corporate or other industries, get your head around the cyclical nature of schools – what are your annual touchpoints and events and what catchment areas do you pull from. It’s also a bit of a kick to have little lunch and big lunch again!

Thank you Sebastian … it’s been wonderful to get to know you!

Editor’s Note: So… who else had to google the definition of a couple of Sebastian’s self-descriptive words!?