Most Important Skills for a VP of Brand Partnerships at BlackRock
Ruthie, BlackRock's VP of Brand Partnerships, emphasizes agility as "the most important" skill, highlighting the need to "move quickly, um, and pivot" in a constantly changing marketing landscape. The ability to combine this agility with strong analytical skills, creativity in problem-solving, effective communication, and relationship building—all while maintaining composure under pressure—"is extremely important" for success in their field.
Agility, Analytical Skills, Creativity, Communication, Relationship Building
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ruthie Heller
VP of Brand Partnerships
BlackRock
Yeshiva University
N/A
Communications
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing)
Communication and Marketing
Took Out Loans, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Agility: The ability to adapt quickly to changing market trends and business objectives is crucial in marketing. Ruthie emphasizes the importance of being able to pivot and change direction as needed.
2. Analytical Skills & Curiosity: A strong analytical mindset and a deep curiosity to understand data are key. This involves going beyond surface-level information and actively seeking deeper insights.
3. Communication & Relationship Building: Excellent communication and presentation skills are essential, along with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with colleagues and clients. Ruthie highlights the importance of being respectful and composed under pressure to foster positive collaboration and mentorship.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
That's a good question. I would say there are three to five key skills.
The first is agility, and I think that's the most important. It's crucial to be agile and nimble in a marketing position because things change all the time. Budgets, markets, and external factors are constantly in flux. As a marketer, you have to be aware of culture, trends, and world events.
Being an agile marketing professional means you can move quickly and pivot if the direction changes. This has happened often in my career. In the agency world, clients could ask questions at any moment, and you needed to be ready to respond and make changes instantly.
As you grow in your career and move up, agility becomes even more necessary. People will request things constantly, and business objectives sometimes change. While these changes are often strategic and for the long term, they can also depend on the market environment. So, agility is really important.
Next is analytics. Being analytical and curious is key. You should see information and not take it at face value, but rather dive into it and learn more about its source and the data involved. It means getting your hands dirty and digging deeper into presentations, decks, or any data you encounter.
I'd also say creativity is very important. Many people think marketing is just about making ads and commercials, which is a creative element. However, creativity has many facets. I mean it more in the sense of being able to think about an idea in a different way or represent ideas differently. This is really important.
Furthermore, presentation and communication skills are extremely important. Being articulate and able to communicate your ideas clearly and succinctly is vital.
Finally, being a good relationship person is crucial. Knowing the people you work with and treating them as individuals is important. There will always be deliverables and urgent tasks, which is part of the marketing game. It's about behaving respectfully, even under pressure.
This shows composure to management and leadership. It also serves as a model for analysts and associates who are developing their careers, teaching them the kind of behavior they should emulate. So those are my five.