“Relationships are important,” Renee Marquardt from Omnicom Media
Meet Renee Marquardt, EVP of Business Operations at Omnicom Media, where she oversees agency operations with a focus on organizational efficiency and effectiveness. A results-driven agency executive, Renee brings deep expertise in operational excellence, streamlining processes, driving transformational change, and aligning cross-functional teams to deliver meaningful business outcomes. Before shifting her focus to operations, Renee led direct marketing and digital media efforts for major brands including Foot Locker, Red Hat, Mercedes-Benz USA, Delta Air Lines, and American Express. She is also deeply committed to mentoring others and empowering the next generation of leaders through intentional guidance and support.
Renee sat down with Jocelyn Hudak, Senior Director, Content and Digital Marketing and Morgan James, Content Marketing Specialist at SiriusXM Media for Pass the Mic. Together, they discussed mentorship, confidence, career pivots, personal branding, and why building strong relationships is one of the most important things you can do throughout your career.
Listen to Renee’s full interview below, then check out the highlights from the conversation.
Build more relationships.
Highlight: “Relationships are so important… You should continue to make sure you're building more and more relationships throughout your career… This industry is so small that you constantly can run into people, and they could help you, and even be that supporter from afar.” - Renee Marquardt
Understand what sets you apart.
Highlight: “I think the most important thing for someone that's just starting out, is really trying to understand what would set you apart. What is it that sets you apart from other people?... What are those soft skills or what are the non-tangible things that people look for in good employees? Make sure those qualities shine through!” - Renee Marquardt
Think about what’s next.
Highlight: “Think about what your manager is looking for next. What are the things that would make their life easier, that they're not necessarily asking for, that you're going to start to do. Being proactive and taking initiative will always help with career growth and you can make yourself very sticky in a large organization.” - Renee Marquardt
Do the job before it’s yours.
Highlight: “Look at the job description for that next role. What is that next role that you want? And make sure that you know how to do those different tasks and responsibilities within a job description. Figure out if you're not doing them now. How can you learn to do them so that when you are up for that promotion, it's easy. You're checking all those boxes and doing the job already. Because you really do need to do that job before it's yours.” - Renee Marquardt
Shift the way you think about yourself.
Highlight: “As soon as you are promoted into a new role and you get this new title, you have a moment of doubt… ‘I'm not going to be the smartest person in the room anymore. So what does that mean for me?’ You have to mentally pivot the way you're thinking, because yes, you may not be the smartest person, but you should present yourself confidently enough so that people don't realize that you personally don't think you're there yet. It's about growth; you're going to get there. Everyone will make mistakes, and that's okay. But it's learning from those mistakes, being able to have a teaching moment, and just shift the way in which you think about yourself.” - Renee Marquardt
Showcase your work.
Highlight: “I would encourage everyone to have weekly meetings with their manager. I think it's very important for growth to make sure you're showcasing the work that you're doing. It’s not always easy to talk about yourself and your contributions, especially if you are more reserved and like to be behind the scenes. You should always keep a running list of your accomplishments. You should not wait until your annual review to pull out that list.” - Renee Marquardt
Renee’s advice is a reminder that career growth often comes from the work people do before the next title arrives. Whether it’s building relationships, showcasing accomplishments, developing your personal brand, or finding a trusted board of directors, her perspective shows that success is built through preparation, consistency, and the willingness to own what makes you different. For more inspirational content like this, check out the Pass the Mic page.
