36. Australia and Me: A Conversation with Top 50 CMO Mohit Bhargava.
Jun 29, 2020
Mohit Bhargava, the Chief Marketing Officer of some of Australia's favorite entertainment brands, has a theory that can help you thrive in a new country.
Mohit Bhargava has held senior marketing roles in some of the most iconic Australian entertainment businesses and was recognized by his peers as one of the top 50 Chief Marketing Officers (CMO) in Australia two years in a row. He most recently was the CMO at Big4, a network of holiday parks located throughout Australia.
Mohit was previously the general manager of sales and marketing at Village Entertainment, a subsidiary of Village Roadshow Limited. This Australian company operates cinemas and theme parks and produces and distributes films. He also worked as a senior digital marketer at Nova Entertainment, an Australian entertainment company using commercial radio networks in metropolitan and regional areas, a pay television station, and mobile brands.
Mohit is about to start a new role, and we are not able yet to announce it, but it's based in South East Asia. It will expand his horizons and leverage his entertainment and hospitality industry expertise, particularly around marketing to families, dealing with disruption, and improving a brand's approach to multicultural marketing.
I invited Mo to be my guest for many reasons. Firstly, we have bonded over our passion for helping international students and migrants adjust to living and thriving as professionals in Australia. We've come from different parts of the globe - him from India, I from Brazil - and we've made it here, but not without challenges. We both feel we have a lot to help and support those who are ambitious for their careers. Each of us, in our way, has been doing just that.
Secondly, I wanted Mohit to speak to the listeners of this podcast because he has an impressive and impeccable leadership style. Mo exudes confidence yet is not afraid to show vulnerability. He has command of his expertise and is not afraid to niche down. Yet one could hire him to run marketing and sales in a different sector and feel very confident he can deliver. He uses his diversity as a strength and a weapon in his toolkit to help his employer achieve more, grow markets, and understand the new demographics of multicultural families, couples, and young people living and spending in Australia.
And finally, Mo has a 3-step philosophy - or framework - on how someone from overseas can adapt to a new country. He thought of it for Indians moving to Australia, but I believe it lends itself perfectly well for any expat, migrant or international student moving to a different country. Listen, and let me know if you agree with me!
We start the conversation very casually, and I hope you don't mind that I decided not to edit it out because I have been enjoying more and more podcasts that are very conversational. I hope you feel like a fly on the wall as we start getting ready for our chat.
Timestamps to guide your listening
- 6:46 - We start the conversation very casually, and I hope you don't mind that I decided not to edit it out - because I have been enjoying more and more podcasts that are very conversational and casual - you feel like you are a fly on the wall as we start getting ready for our chat.
- 12:30 - Mohit's graduation day and the advice that almost took him back to India
- 17:10 - How Mo got his first job through networking
- 29:59 - Mo's approach to using Linkedin
- 34:14 - Mohit's 3-step philosophy to succeeding in a new country: works for international students, migrants, and expats.
- Arrive and Unlearn
- Grow and Fail
- Propel and Learn
- 43:50 - Mo's leadership mindset: how he practices and grows as a professional to succeed as a migrant and as a marketing leader.
- 50:19 - Getting ready for a new role: leading a new team in a new organization and a new country
Links mentioned in this episode:
