This week we recognize Brian Wheeler, our new senior account director. Since starting in February, Brian has quickly become a valuable asset to the PR and marketing teams. A social media guru, he is a world traveler and his passion for his clients is evident. Find out what Brian has to say about MCCI below:
What do you love about MCCI?
The people. I have known the professional staff at MCCI as both a client and now a colleague. The passion our team brings to every project for our clients is inspiring and what drives results for the organizations we work with. The client base at MCCI is diverse, and that diversity and complexity keeps our people focused and engaged with the client to ensure effective marketing and communications strategies are created and implemented. Being from Oklahoma, I also love the location! Downtown Detroit is coming back and it’s nice to be able to look out the office windows and see the city full of people.
Explain your role as a part of the MCCI family.
I joined MCCI in February 2017 as Senior Account Director. In this role, I provide senior oversight to and work directly with our portfolio of global, national and regional clientele, planning and implementing public relations, media relations and marketing strategies. As a former journalist and global marketing and communications lead for a tier one automotive supplier, I focus on meeting tight deadlines and don’t mind rolling my sleeves to get the job done right the first time.
What's the most challenging part of your job? Most rewarding?
Although I’ve worked for a multi-national corporation and developed business relationships with multiple agencies worldwide, joining MCCI as Senior Account Director is my first position on the agency side of the marketing and communications business. There are certain intricacies, such as keeping track and logging what you do daily, that I’m still getting accustomed to.
The most rewarding part of my role is completing a project and delivering results. With today’s technology, marketing and communications professionals have many tools to better gauge success than in years’ past. Seeing a media pitch, for example, published in an industry leading magazine makes the late nights and too many cups of coffee well worth it.
How do you spend your time outside the office?
I stay busy. I have now lived in Michigan for only 20 months. Therefore, I spend a lot of time traveling the state and visiting top destinations such as Traverse City and Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula. I also enjoy traveling. To date, I’ve visited 14 countries and plan to add yet another to the list in late 2017 or early 2018. When on the road, I prefer to be outside with my camera finding the next great hiking trail and craft beer. Lastly, I love sports, specifically baseball, football, basketball and soccer. On Saturdays during football season you will find me in front of a TV or in Norman, Okla., watching my beloved Sooners. BOOMER!
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
There are several countries on the top of my list. If I only had one choice, though, today I would visit Thailand. The culture in the southeast Asia region of the world is fascinating, especially as the Thai people are known for having great self-control and respect for others. The beaches, jungles, high rises in Bangkok, and spicy street food are just a few reasons I want to board the next flight from DTW to BKK.
