Written by Ankita Manek, an aspiring Public Relations professional from Seneca College.
If I had to define Kate Dobrucki, VP, Communications at Dentsu international’s career trajectory in a few words, I would use the phrase ‘guided by passion.’
A penchant for writing and a drive for communications are key ingredients to Kate’s formula for success. For my first question, I asked her, ‘what drew her to the field of communications?’
Her answer was simple, that made sense, and was something we all can relate to as students pursuing a dream — ‘I like telling stories,’ she said.
With over 15 years of experience in experiential, social and digital landscapes, Kate describes herself as ‘an accomplished generalist’ whose work path has allowed her to pivot in different directions, which meant she got a chance to work with Nike, Lego, and dozens of other beloved brands. She’s also been the creative force behind events like Stoli Vodka influencer parties, American Express private events, and the 2015 PanAm Games.
But not just happy with a thriving career in communications, she also believes in actively championing women empowerment with initiatives like Female Foundry, a Denstu International initiative where mentorship is provided to female entrepreneurs and her podcast, Womxn Who, where Kate and her co-host Simren have insightful conversations with women in the communications field.
Kate’s current role as the VP of the global giant Dentsu International started right before the pandemic hit, and she helped the company brace for the massive transformation it would undergo.
She says, “The CEO, Jeff Greenspoon, said ‘it’s going to be so much fun, it’s gonna be a wild ride.’ Little did the two of us know!”
The way we work has been completely reshaped because of the pandemic, and a few jobs roles have undergone a complete transformation. She says about the role communications played at Denstu International, “What I will say about communications is that I had a great seat the executive table, but I will say I think there were others on the executive team, who were skeptical of me and my capabilities but skeptical of comms in general, and asked questions like, ‘how is comms really that strategic? Don’t you just like to write some emails to the teams and organize some annual conferences?’
And really quickly when the pandemic hit and the importance of communications and communicating clearly, effectively, concisely and consistently was emphasized. It was a humbling experience for them, because they didn’t want to say the wrong thing.”
She had an important piece of advice to give newcomers in the industry, — She stresses how important it is for newcomers to develop connections with the organization’s senior leaders. The latter can help understand what proper path to take on a career journey. She says,
“Mentors are critical. You can find those within the organization that you’re in. Because they can sort of help you hack the system, for lack of a better word, right? Like they know the other key stakeholders, they can help you easily troubleshoot some blocks or boundaries you’re running up against. But then also find some mentors outside of your industry. Because I find to back to the beginning about different perspectives and outlooks.”
About Denstu International
Dentsu International is one of the largest global marketing and advertising agency networks in the world.
