This article is part of our Women in Partnerships series, highlighting female professionals in the partnerships space. To learn more about the series and the Women in Partnerships group, check out the series intro.
Making the leap from marketing to partnerships isn’t always easy, but Melis Aydın has handled her transition with grace. After spending time in marketing events, digital marketing, and social media management, Melis saw the power of partnerships and decided to take a chance. Today, Melis joins us to share her experiences as a Senior Partnerships & Alliances Manager.
Transitioning into Partnerships
In school, Melis Aydın studied Political Science and International Relations, but she worked and studied since she was a sophomore. When she became a Senior at the university, she attended the Summer School of the University of Edinburgh, Business Communications and Social Media, and decided to be a part of the Digital Business Ecosystem. Instead, she decided to get into marketing. Melis explained, “In my fourth year in event marketing, I had the opportunity to conduct market research in Amsterdam. They were one of the first to establish a partner marketplace and I was inspired by the power of partnerships for growing revenue. I took 10+ classes by Adobe professionals, met with 30+ partners of Adobe. All of those partnerships inspired me to leverage my communication skills to become a Partnership Professional.”
When Melis met her current manager, he offered her the opportunity to join Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence backed cross-channel campaign management platform: Insider. Insider’s personalization and AI-powered optimization capabilities make it the #1 choice for top global brands. The platform’s uncommon features like deep learning recommendation algorithms increase AOV, conversion rates, and lifetime value (LTV) to help generate quick wins across industries.
Melis shared, “It has been a great opportunity to create a business network in the B2B SaaS Industry. Everyone on the team has their own territories; I work as EMEA’s Partnership Manager. We have teams in Latin America, APAC, Benelux, Australia and are looking for someone in The US right now. So far, I’ve gotten to work with over 50 partners while at Insider.”
While this is Melis’s first time working in partnerships at an organization, she’s already making a significant impact. She shared, “After a year and a half, we doubled the region’s revenue.”
Becoming a Female Leader
Melis shared that her top challenge is navigating the technology & sales ecosystem that’s presently dominated by men. “When you look at the majority, you always see men. Mostly, men are the decision-makers who decide what you should and shouldn’t do, even though you’re a highly talented person of your own accord. Most of the research says men become leaders much easier than women, even when they are not capable or interested to become a leader. I am representing female power, talent, and hard work. We are capable of amazing things in our careers.”
As a woman in the industry, Melis shared there are many expectations she feels she must keep up with. She explained, “I always felt like I needed to make a difference for myself and others. I should always be on my best behavior. Having a company leader who’s a woman has been very helpful there. She was a great example to us — she’s hardworking, kind, and helpful, which is what inspired me to join the company.”
Melis’s hard work and dedication are paying off. She shared, “I was recently promoted to be a Senior Manager after many years of work. I have always been working in an operational role. Now, I get to be in a strategic role and will be able to make strategic growth decisions for the company. This will be a game-changing effect — making those decisions will have a huge impact on the entire team.”
Uplifting Other Women in the Industry
Through her experiences in sales, marketing, and partnerships, Melis has discovered the value of uplifting other women wherever we can. Melis is a member of our Women in Partnerships community. She appreciates being part of the group because she feels it’s valuable to share our experiences. “Having a regular mentor is different from having an experienced and empathic woman mentor. Because women have similar experiences across our business life and have a strong understanding of what each other goes through. The industry’s issues are in common. We should find ways to collaborate, help each other, and show other options. There are significant struggles on the business side for women. If we can train others before facing those, it will be a huge help for all of us and have a significant impact on women’s professional life at the early stage.”
In closing, Melis shared a few pieces of advice for other women looking to get into the industry. “When looking to get into partnerships, my top piece of advice is to be the best researcher you can be. You should be eager to learn and develop yourself. Commercial and communication skills are crucial. It’s also important to have a broad network to utilize that information. Knowing everything won’t help you unless you know how to use that information, which is why building relationships is so valuable. Always communicate, be a good listener and be easy to communicate with.”
Get advice from and connect with hundreds of powerful women in partnerships, like Melis, when you join Partnership Leaders’ Women in Partnerships group. Hundreds of industry professionals turn to Partnership Leaders for support with their latest projects, answers to burning questions, and general camaraderie.
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