10 questions with Jason Chebib, VP consumer planning, Diageo North America

I tutored Latin, aged 12. I’d only done a year’s Latin, but it was just enough to teach 10-year olds who’d missed the first year of Latin grammar and were joining my London private school a year late. Earning money for my skills was totally eye-opening. I’d never had my own money before, and I loved it. I spent it on vinyl records, mostly. The minute I got my National Insurance card, aged 16, I got a job at McDonalds in Oxford Street, in London’s West End. At the time it was the busiest McDonalds in Europe. I was handy on the till, and good at upselling – we used to have competitions to see who could take the most money in the 60 minutes of the crazy lunch hour. I won a few times. I can’t remember what the prize was. Probably your choice of burger.

Why did you get into marketing?

After 18 years in comms agencies, I wanted to find out what life was like upstream, with the big boys, in the real world, where the real money is, and where the real decisions are made. If I ever do find out, I’ll be sure and let you know.

Who do you find most interesting to follow on social media?

There’s no-one I wake up and have to check what they’ve tweeted out overnight. But I like Marketing theorist @AdContrarian, Marketing scientist Prof Byron Sharp (@ProfByron) and @Marketoonist Tom Fishburne. Also, adman and thinker Martin Weigel (@mweigel) – everyone should subscribe to Martin’s blog ‘Canalside’.

Where do you go for most of your mainstream news updates?

I always have the BBC’s website on in the background when I’m writing. Living in New York, I find myself scrolling between The New York Times, Washington Post, Vox, CNN and Dave Pell’s daily news digest ‘The Next Draft’, all mostly on my iPhone. I do try and check in regularly to see what Fox News is saying, but I can rarely hack it for more than a few minutes.

What was the last book you read?

Probably ‘Superforecasting’ by Dan Gardner & Philip Tetlock. Subtitled ‘The Art and Science of Prediction’. It’s fascinating. Did you even know there was such a job as being a superforecaster? I didn’t.

If you could ban one buzzword or piece of jargon what would it be?

That’s easy – the word ‘ecosystem’ applied to Marketing or business. As if the components of some low-budget digital comms plan were these living things which, once you set them up, run by themselves, symbiotically and for your benefit. ‘Ecosystem’. It’s an arrogant term used by delusional people to aggrandize meaningless activities.

If you could take one person in the world for a drink to talk about their thoughts and their career who would you choose and why?

I probably shouldn’t admit this in writing, but Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger is a bit of a hero of mine. He’s an analyst and a Planner. He believes deeply in his principles. He’s the same man in defeat and in victory. I’ve always aspired to his dignity and calm (I have neither). Wenger knows that winning is ultimately a transient and treacherous thrill, but how you play the game defines you as a human being. I’d especially like to chat with him about how to end a career well. And, yes, I am a lifelong Arsenal fan.

What is your favourite social media platform?

Twitter, without a doubt. I’m naturally a words person, more than a pictures person. It just comes more easily. Probably something to do with growing up without television, and having to read for kicks.

Do you ever turn your phone off?

No. But this year I started leaving it on my desk when I go to meetings. In the beginning it was incredibly hard not having it there. That’s when I realized my phone was an actual, genuine, real addiction. I’ve never looked at it quite the same way since.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?/topics/10-questions

Steven Hess is a highly successful entrepreneur, but once upon a time, he held the job of computer manager at London ad agency CDP on the Euston Road. It’s on Steven’s LinkedIn profile, so don’t take my word for it. He’s not proud (I love him for that). We were both in our first ‘proper’ job. Steven wasn’t ‘IT Manager’ – there was no such thing in those far-off days. We sent memos in brown envelopes using runners. Print ads were created on easels by studio guys with scalpels and rules.

Steven and I dined on cheap Chinese food for lunch once a month, on payday. All true. In additional to literally teaching me all I ever needed to know about using a PC, Steven also told me to give all my documents a filename that ends with a numerical suffix that goes year-month-day. “Strategic Masterpiece 170718.” That way the latest version is always on the top in your file, descending to the oldest version. As a disorganized ‘version person’ (I save multiple versions of documents because I can’t help dicking about and trying out daft stuff).

Steven’s advice has saved me weeks of searching and angst over the intervening nearly-three decades.

10 Questions With runs each Monday with a new interviewee from the media and marketing sector.