Celtra Employee Spotlight: Julio Vasquez, Sr. Product Specialist

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you came to Celtra

I studied at Pratt Institute for Digital Design & Interactive Media with a passion for animation and UX interactivity. I started working in Digital Advertising in 2011 when mobile advertising was still in its infancy. I discovered Celtra around that time and was blown away by the capabilities of the platform. It was light-years ahead of all the other tools I’ve seen, and it inspired me to want to learn and master it. So I joined the Celtra team in 2012 as a Senior Designer, and the rest is browser history.

You’ve been at Celtra for 6 years. What keeps you so passionate?

Aside from, of course, our awesome team, it’s definitely my love of the Celtra platform. It’s easy to get excited about it when you know what it can do and what it solves for designers. It empowers us to bring our designs to life and create interactive user experiences where we don’t have to rely on developers to get a prototype done. You can go from concept to build within moments and without any coding knowledge. And with all these features available at your fingertips, and because the platform is constantly evolving and improving, it makes exploring possibilities fun and exciting.

Can you describe what it’s like to work in the NY office?

New York has a wonderful culture and is a true representation of what it’s like to have a melting pot of uniquely talented and driven individuals who come from all over the world to help make Celtra what it is. We have team members from Italy, Chile, Germany, Korea, London, Slovenia, China, Georgia etc. as well as locals from Manhattan, the Bronx, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California and the list goes on. It makes me feel like I’m part of a dream team! It really keeps me motivated and focused to do my best work, knowing that I’m part of a team where everyone is bringing their best.

What big changes in Celtra have you seen since you’ve been here?

Tremendous growth, for one. When I first joined Celtra, the NY office only had 5 team members; a mixed bag of roles that specialized in what we needed at that time. Three offices later, we now have 35 team members and growing. And that’s just NY. Company wide, we’re almost 200 members strong. This growth is a reflection of the fact that we now power digital ads for many of the biggests brands and Media Partners out there, to help them drive value across the digital ecosystem.

What was it like going from Designer to Product Specialist?

When I joined Celtra, I was the only Designer in the US so I became pivotal in providing creative support for Celtra’s many US clients through building creatives and prototyping and mocking concepts which was no small feat! It really helped me grow into a veteran Senior Designer because I was so close to the beating heart of what ads were becoming and what clients were looking for.

When my role changed from being a creator to helping clients learn and grow in the platform, the transition was seamless. I was immediately able to bring all my years of Celtra ad building experience and deep knowledge of the platform to the client enablement and success effort as a Product Specialist. It was a natural fit!

What are some things you do for clients as a Product Specialist?

A Celtra Product Specialist is someone who at their root is a Design expert in the platform and we know the struggles and challenges of being a creative person in Digital Advertising. With that valuable experience, we are able to onboard new designers and prepare them with the tools and knowledge they need to master the Celtra platform. We are able to provide valuable insight to improve workflows and production efficiencies, as well as recommend features and best practices that will help accomplish campaign goals more effectively. We are the Celtra platform experts so we are here for designers to lean on whenever they need assistance. We also function as part of the Support Team, answering questions, providing creative assistance and troubleshooting builds.

Finally, how have you grown personally and professionally at Celtra?

When I shifted from Creative Services to the Client Success team I was able to step out from behind the creative curtain to bring my knowledge directly to clients as a Product Specialist. And having that client-direct relationship has really allowed me to evolve and grow, both professionally and personally. The position quickly became a Senior role, and later that year I won an internal award for “Most Improved Player.” While that kind of recognition is great, the most fulfilling part of my growth has been working directly with so many great clients and brands and seeing the impact I have on their design teams; seeing how excited they get by the platform’s capabilities, helping them overcome certain issues or simply helping them do some things better. They are always so appreciative of my guidance, and to me that’s really been the most rewarding.