Meeting of the Minds: Ryvalmedia’s Julie Gabelich and Cohen Sizemore

Julie Gabelich, group business director, Ryvalmedia Melbourne

Gabelich leads the team at Ryvalmedia Melbourne responsible for the client portfolio including Bet365, Racing Victoria, Hisense, and Sleepmaker.

Favourite podcast/read – American Vigilante & The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Series

Current streaming binge –   Jack Ryan Series on Prime Amazon

Guilty pleasure content –    Vanderpump Rules

What do you have on repeat – Rufus Du Sol

Best career advice – Network, have good values, treat others how you want to be treated, listen, learn, seek advice, pick up the phone and talk to publishers, set goals, be adaptable, take initiative, communicate & be sure to have a work-life balance.

Leadership hero – Dalai Lama and Ryvalmedia MD, Joseph Pardillo.

Best training course/session – External training sessions, e.g., MFA, are always valuable and insightful; however, I prefer our Ryvalmedia internal training sessions as they provide a forum to share knowledge in an informal environment.

I wish someone had told me – Networking & building relationships are fundamental across all facets of the media industry and your place of work.

Favourite place to network – Media industry events, informal catchups with publishers and colleagues, e.g., coffee meet & greets.

Something that’s surprised you about the industry – How fast the digital landscape and programmatic capability has evolved each year.

What is your hot take on the industry – The Federal Government should be more consistent on imposing advertising restrictions across certain industries.

Career goal for 2024 – Continue to upskill across all Digital platforms to enable a holistic view across all media.

Cohen Sizemore, Business Manager, Ryvalmedia Melbourne

Sizemore works on the digital media for Gabelich’s client portfolio clients including Racing Victoria and Sleepmaker.

Favourite podcast/read – I’m not a huge reader, but I’m currently reading Everybody in my Family Has Murdered Someone, which I’m really enjoying.

Current streaming binge – Boy Swallows Universe – Fantastic show!

Guilty pleasure content – Always Sunny in Philadelphia

What do you have on repeat – Motomami – Rosalia

Best career advice – Take advantage of the number of courses and extensive learning opportunities working in media provides.

Leadership hero –  In terms of media leaders, many of the senior leadership team at Ryvalmedia have been great for my start and development in the media industry. Specifically, Julie Gabelich, Ed Field, and Sarinna Harte, to name a few.

Best training course/session – NGEN provides some fantastic learning opportunities. It’s hard to narrow down to one, but I highly recommend going to as many as possible.

I wish someone had told me – Call over email, it builds better relationships, and you get faster answers.

Favourite place to network – There’s no one specific place I like to network, but I always enjoy attending publisher sessions and meeting the teams we work closely with. Bells Hotel rooftop in South Melbourne isn’t too shabby either…

Something that’s surprised you about the industry – The cost of TV and OOH channels, as someone who was never across that industry prior to Ryvalmedia.

What is your hot take on the industry – Traditional measurement metrics need to improve to better understand channel buys and the impact they have on client’s activity.

Career goal for 2024 – Continue to evolve my knowledge across ATL channels, as I have a very digital heavy background. It’s important to have a holistic understanding as media consumption isn’t siloed, and this further improves my strategic approach for clients.