Blanca Serrano Cabezas is an Account Director at Plug Media, a London-based programmatic advertising agency.
She’s been at Plug for two years, and is a senior client solutions specialist who started in trading and is now moving more into a client-facing position. Her role involves helping advertisers plan, deliver and optimise digital media campaigns. Prior to Plug, her career started at Net Natives in Brighton as an apprentice programmatic trader. Originally from Madrid, Blanca studied Psychology at the University of Sussex.
I’d categorise my own career path into Ops as one of recklessness and blissful ignorance.
While I am comfortable with my choices, my accidental journey is down to the power of self-belief.
I was born and lived in Madrid. Looking for a complete change, I decided to finalise my studies in the UK. At the University of Sussex, I majored in Psychology; and even though I loved the coursework, I knew I was never going to become a clinical psychologist or associate. During my third year, and enjoying student life and the chilled, cosy vibe of Brighton, I became more convinced I’d like to work in the UK.
At first, I applied for jobs well within my skill set: roles that asked for academic qualifications I actually had. I heard nothing back. Something wasn’t working. So I decided to change my approach: just get a job, and worry about the specifics later.
That’s when I started looking at all Operations roles. “Data analyst? Sure.” “Junior ops exec, I can definitely do that” – I was half-convinced this was the right strategy, as I started to click Apply on a wider range of vacancies.
But it paid off.
I was amazed to be offered my first job as an Apprentice Programmatic Trader. I had absolutely no idea what it involved, but gladly accepted.
My job involves helping advertisers and brands plan, deliver and optimise digital media campaigns across connected TV, online video, audio, display and digital out-of-home (DOOH). I use real-time data and specialist platforms to buy and manage advertising across relevant channels, making sure campaigns are set up accurately, run smoothly and meet the client’s objectives.
Five years later, I’m so glad I made that decision and was given the opportunity, because it wasn’t that hard to make the transition.
Of course, there have been challenges and plenty of trials, but nothing I couldn’t handle with curiosity, grit and a genuine belief that I’d be okay.
That’s my first piece of advice for anyone starting their career journey. Don’t second-guess yourself. Ask questions and get yourself informed.
The Gender Gap
However, I am curious as to why there are so few women working in ops. Even though my first manager was a woman, in my experience to date, the majority of colleagues and clients I’ve worked with have been men. (According to the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, women occupy just 14% of management roles in Operations).
Over the last two years, I’ve worked across both Operations and Client Services, and I’m more aware of the noticeable contrast. I’d often be the only woman in Operations meetings, while in Client Services catch-ups, men would tend to be the minority.
I think it starts with the language of job descriptions.
On paper, the overview of roles in Ops sounds incredibly technical and feels completely out of reach. It actually becomes an effective deterrent. The positions are often pitched at engineers and computer science students, and stipulate the requirement of qualifying degrees historically chosen and dominated by men.
I find this a very narrow way to identify talent. Especially in my own corner of the world of advertising.
The male engineering master’s student and the female psych grad walk into the room with the same experience in platforms and programmatic: zero. The playing field is level, and that’s exactly where soft skills become the biggest differentiator between candidates, such as time management, multitasking, accountability and people skills.
I don’t think job specifications highlight these aptitudes and competences nearly enough. And it seems reductive to think that only someone highly technical can thrive in an operational role.
With the introduction of AI, soft skills aren’t just a nice addition anymore – they’re an absolute requirement. AI will automate the tedious, repetitive work. Communicating results clearly, simplifying data for the team, and being creative with problem-solving will matter far more than being excellent at data analysis. The human element is only going to become more important.
My second piece of advice for anyone on the fence is, you can do this!
The stats module from a psychology degree is enough. The A-level maths is enough. The basic analytical coursework is enough. Especially for entry-level roles.
Nobody gets into programmatic operations having experience on DSPs (demand-side platforms) because it is such a specialism. You’ll never know a company’s operational processes inside out before joining.
Ops work is mainly following and implementing processes, which makes it extremely learnable. Becoming proficient at operating a platform is a step-by-step process that rewards attention to detail — it doesn’t require a massively analytical brain. Your proactivity and curiosity are the real assets you bring to the team.
The advertising industry needs women for the same reason every field does: because we can be great at it. There’s no reason we wouldn’t be. I made myself believe that when I was desperate for a job at 21.
Five years, one apprenticeship, and several promotions later, I can only confirm that belief was right.
