Women’s History Month Q&A: Meet Ophélie, Ashlee, Danielle, and Erin

In this next edition of our Women’s History Month Q&A series spotlighting some of our talented female Magnites, we check in with Ophélie, Ashlee, Danielle, and Erin on some of the important things they’ve learned during this difficult year, what makes them proud and inspires them, and advice they have for balancing workplace dynamics.

What’s one thing that makes you most proud?

I’m really proud of my little sisters. It amazes me each time they go outside of their comfort zones and achieve another challenge that they did not think they were capable of. As women, we often find the most barriers we face are the ones we set for ourselves. It’s important to guide, help and support the younger women so they can believe in themselves and reach their biggest dreams.

What’s the most important risk you took and why?

Back in 2017, I could barely handle a professional conversation in English and decided that my main fear would become my biggest opportunity. I jumped outside of my comfort zone and flew to Canada by myself without knowing anybody there. Sometimes what looks like a risk from your own perspective can give you the biggest rewards in life!

Tell us the most important thing you’ve learned in the last year since quarantine began. 

Resilience and empathy are what comes to my mind right away. Each of us experienced the quarantine in different ways but we all have in common that we learned a lot about ourselves. More than ever, we had to adjust and make compromises. This is a long run that we can’t win without resilience. It’s also important to show empathy. Being away physically from each other is hard and this also means that you don’t always know what is going on behind the scenes. Let’s make sure we offer some help and be there for each other.

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Who do you look up to for inspiration or mentorship?

Women who’ve succeed while not conforming to a mold. For example, when I first moved to New York and was exposed to so much great fashion, I read about Elsa Schiaparelli, who brought the shoulder pad into mainstream fashion in the 30’s. At the time, the fashion industry, and well as most workplaces, were dominated by men and she was looking for a way to make woman feel more powerful as well as earn herself a place in the annuls of fashion history. Her shoulder pad designs made her customers feel “courage and confidence, demanding attention whenever they walked in the room.”  Since then I’ve tried to apply this not to just my fashions but also to my career.  Whatever you’re doing, own it.  Walk into that meeting or presentation like you own the place…like your shoulder pads can break the door down. 

We know you’ve spent a lot of time at home this last year. Tell us about the favorite corner of your home.

I have this Adirondack bookcase chair (google it) that my father fashioned for me. I live in the Marina in LA and the chair faces out the window so I can keep my eye on the seals and their constant battle with mankind over the boat docks. In the ‘before times’ when we were always in office, this was where I would escape to get a different perspective, especially for creative writing and brainstorming.  Now that the office is the living room is the kitchen, it can be challenging to find new perspectives to spark that creativity. These days I plan and respect sacred time set aside specifically for creative work, sit in my chair and use my giant sized, non-ruled notebook to inspire limitless possibilities. 

What are the most important traits to look for when hiring a new employee?

Determined/tenacious, adaptable, and reliable. I like to ask behavioral questions during the interview process because I want to learn how the candidate thinks and solves problems. Magnite has gone through a merger and soon to be acquisition, so having teammates who are adaptable to change is very important. A lean team means everyone needs to be accountable, so I always look for someone who is smart and I can rely on them to get the job done.

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Danielle Moales
Manager, Publisher Management (Atlanta)

What do you hope the theme of International Women’s Day will be in 2041? 

I hope the theme is that we start to celebrate Women all Year Round, 365 rather than just one day a year.

Tell us the most important thing you’ve learned in the last year since quarantine began. 

I have learned how resilient I am and that no matter what, I will come out on the other side stronger and better for what I have gone through.

What advice do you have for a woman who works mostly with men? Such as balancing the appearance of being bossy when being confident, or trying to connect deeper with any sort of “boys club” dynamic. 

Don’t shrink so that they can grow.  Be yourself and don’t allow yourself to be silenced, use your voice to speak up!

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What’s one thing that makes you most proud?

Teaching my daughter about all the strong women who have given her better opportunities. We read a lot of books about women who have done great things in this world such as Maya Angelou and Marie Curie. I want her to know she can be whatever she wants to be. 

What’s the most important risk you took and why?

Changing industry. I originally wanted to work in PR. I started out working at Skype and hated it! I took a risk on an interview where I hadn’t even had time to read the job description and so began my career in Ad tech. Working in such a dynamic and new industry meant that being the new kid on the block didn’t really matter, we were all learning. It also meant that if you worked hard you could progress quickly. I put my head down and focused on getting the job done and feel like I’ve been able to drive my career exactly where I wanted.

What advice do you have for a woman who works mostly with men? Such as balancing the appearance of being bossy when being confident, or trying to connect deeper with any sort of “boys club” dynamic.

Be yourself (within a professional remit). If you’re dumbing down your personality to fit in with the workplace then it’s not the right workplace for you. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been at Magnite for so long – I’ve always had the opportunity to be myself, to follow through with my ideas and to grow my skills.  I’ve never ever tried to be one of the guys; it would be too hard to maintain.