Andy

There are three things that come to mind when I think about Kekst CNC. One is the collaborative spirit of the company. I feel that is something everyone lives by. We support each other to deliver high-quality solutions for our clients. Another one I enjoy is how there are great opportunities to learn here, and how that knowledge is applied to various scenarios. As someone from multi-racial and multi-cultural backgrounds, I can apply different perspectives to challenge myself in work across various mandates and help me grow constantly. A third one would be the openness – Kekst CNC is an organization that isn’t constrained by seniority. We all have a voice and are encouraged to use it, and I feel this embodies the spirit of the organization.

I used to work in digital marketing, so this was a career change for me. I worked in corporate communications which involved a degree of strategy and storytelling. In that role, I felt strategic communications was an area worth exploring as my next step, so when the opportunity to work at Kekst CNC emerged I jumped right in.

My impression is that in marketing as well as in consulting, communication involves crafting powerful narratives. Strategic communications takes that marketing ethos and goes a step beyond, enabling our expertise to advise on complex situations and challenges for clients. There’s a technical acumen to it which I profoundly respect.

I would definitely encourage my younger self to be bold and unafraid to express interest in areas that could benefit not only yourself, but also the larger team. Ultimately, you never really know who is listening; there may be someone who resonates with what you’re saying and sees potential, and that might be the person that pivots you in that direction.

As I mentioned, there’s a sense of openness at the company, as my team welcomed and appreciated my previous experiences. I am lucky to be in an environment where you can be guided and trained even if your background is different, which is amazing. Also, when you work on mandates, you’re encouraged to understand challenges in depth, absorbing as much information as you can to understand and recommend a next step. I really enjoy researching and deep-diving into subjects that require a high level of insight, which I believe is key in my role at Kekst CNC.

I’ve had opportunities to work with other offices, and each time it is very unique in the sense that you’re constantly learning something new. I’ve collaborated with New York, London, Stockholm, and Brussels, and in each of these situations I’ve learned valuable lessons.

The disciplines I’ve supported globally have also been varied: from media analysis to crisis monitoring, financial communications, and public affairs. Work in every market has local nuances, but there’s also a higher layer where similar mechanics apply, and I think our collective knowledge and experience is certainly transferable.

As a result of being in Japan during the pandemic, I had some time to learn about traditional Japanese textiles and craftsmanship, which also influences what I do here at Kekst CNC. There’s a sense of curiosity and perseverance involved in the creative, but you don’t always know what it’s going to look like in the end, so you must stay engaged and trust the process.

And here, you also have the benefit of working with so many people who have seen the process before, or you can show them some area of inquiry that they may not have considered, and that sense of collective creativity builds towards a very elegant product.

Having the opportunity to work here not only builds you up professionally, but you also form great friendships. Teams are receptive, open, and happy to chat. These traits help me envision a career path here, and a lot of that has to do with the people.