Joao Araujo has one foot in Asia and the other in South America. As the regional marketing manager for Asia-Pacific and Brazil, time zone management is a key part of the job.
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Joao Araujo is a perfect candidate for illustrating the international atmosphere at Universum. He was born in Portugal, studied in Slovenia and is now working in Sweden with international marketing at Universum’s headquarters.
You’re from Portugal, how did you end up at Universum?
After doing part of my Masters in Slovenia, I was looking for an international opportunity and stumbled upon an advertisement from Universum. They were looking for someone to work in the marketing department and helping to develop the activities in Asia. It was love at first sight! I applied, got called for an interview and felt that this was the project I wanted to embrace. I’ve been with Universum for over two years now. Most of the time based in Stockholm, with short passages in Universum’s Shanghai office.
What does your job entail?
My responsibilities include our business to business communications globally and managing our marketing operations in Asia Pacific and Brazil. The B2B communications include our PR efforts, corporate Web site, our employer branding blog, our social media presence and our marketing materials. The marketing in Asia Pacific and Brazil also involves working together with our local partners – mostly universities and press.
Tell us about some of the challenges that you meet in your work for Universum?
I always aim to do better, to keep challenging my goals so I can develop my skills and expertise – at Universum I feel at home. Right now my three main challenges include helping to develop the employer branding industry, Universum’s operations in Asia-Pacific and Universum’s B2B brand.
What makes you stay on?
There are two things that are fantastic at Universum: first is the ambience in the company – such great international colleagues, both here in the Stockholm office and throughout the world. The second is the way we keep challenging our limits -– it’s always a thrill to try to improve what we do. At Universum we work in a relaxed environment. Here, the management team values results; you get rewarded by what you deliver.
Name some of the ups and downs of your job?
The absolute best part is international side of it. On any normal day, I may be in contact with people from Japan, China, Hong-Kong, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, UK, Scandinavia, US and Brazil. The downside of working in a global company is that it can be a 24/7 job. Right now, with the daylight savings time, by the time it is six in the evening in China, its 12 noon in Stockholm and seven in the morning in São Paulo. It’s not always easy to manage the agenda.
How do you look upon your future career?
For the time being Universum is definitely my main focus. Future career steps could include more responsibility within the marketing department. For the longer future, I’m an entrepreneur, so who knows what other roles I could have within the Universum Group!
Title:Regional Marketing Manager APAC.
Education: Master in International Management, ISCTE Business School, Lisbon, Portugal, graduated 2008.
First job after graduation: Consultant at Deloitte Consulting
Future dream: To live in a great place with a lovely family and travel the world feeling accomplished with life.