Franck Baldacchino was recently promoted to Director of Operations at Bloom. He joined Bloom over 4 years ago as a paid media intern, and, since then, Franck’s journey at Bloom has been exceptional.
“Franck has shown a great degree of maturity since day one and is a fine example of Bloom’s values. Always rising to the occasion in a calm and professional manner, he’s shown he’s a capable leader who also demonstrates the humility to listen, learn and adapt.”- Xurxo Vidal, COO
To mark the occasion and celebrate his promotion, we’ve asked him a few questions about his background, his previous roles at Bloom and his projects for the future. Keep reading to learn more about Bloom’s new Director of Operations!
1. What brought you to work at Bloom?
I originally studied accounting and management. In the workplace, the reality was quite different than what I expected and I didn’t really enjoy the jobs I had in this field. It just wasn’t for me. After a few years, I decided to try something new and started working as a sales representative in the hotel industry, this change of direction was very beneficial for me. Then, a series of events led me to move from France to Montreal to pursue studies in marketing. That’s where I developed a strong interest in everything digital.
I wasn’t even done with school that I knew I wanted to work in a digital marketing agency. I wanted to work for various companies, discover different industries and get a chance to push my digital marketing skills to the next level.
I applied to several agencies and I also, out of the blue, contacted Martin Perron, Bloom’s CEO on LinkedIn. After a short discussion, he invited me for coffee at the office. I thought his approach was very friendly and personal. A few days later, I received an internship offer and that was the beginning of my adventure at Bloom.
2. You’ve experienced different roles throughout the last few years, can you walk us through your Bloom journey?
In the beginning, I had very little digital experience. As an intern, I was trained by digital experts and I quickly got the opportunity to manage my own campaigns and really get a feel for the platforms. A few months later, I was promoted to Paid Media Analyst. I quickly took on a lot of responsibility, managing several accounts while actively participating in client communications.
I learned a lot by testing new tactics and constantly looking for innovative solutions to increase my campaigns’ performance. The teamwork culture at Bloom and the constant support of my superiors really accelerated my technical training. At the end of my first year, I was a Paid Media Specialist.
At some point, I gained a lot of confidence and I was really involved in strategy and account growth. I also loved to interact with clients and my previous years as a sales representative really helped develop my communication skills. I got promoted to Paid Media Team Lead, where I continued to work on accounts while managing and building a strong team of digital media experts.
Then, in 2020, I switched lanes and got promoted to Director of Operations, a position that aligns perfectly with my previous journey at Bloom. Automation, data analysis, and dashboards have always been present in my work and now, these elements are at the core of my new role.
3. What impact will your new role have on the agency’s relationship with its clients?
My goal as Director of Operations is to help the agency become more effective and efficient by automating or simplifying processes and operations. This way, the agency’s directors and team members can spend more time on value-added actions for our clients. This new position also allows me to focus on tools and innovations that, in turn, make our employees’ work easier.
4. What are you passionate about outside of work?
I’m honestly really passionate about my job and I like taking some time to continue to develop my skills. That said, I also spend a lot of time with my son, I also love hiking, music and travelling. In fact, my love of travelling and my desire to try new experiences led me to permanently move to Quebec a few years ago.
5. What was your first impression of Bloom on your first day at work, over 4 years ago?
I got a super warm welcome at Bloom, especially since we were a small team of 11 people at the time. I quickly noticed that the employees and managers collaborated a lot and everyone listened to what other members had to say. This family-like environment is quite rare and exceptional in my opinion.
And, I think that my first impression of the agency is still very accurate, even though we are now 50 employees. Collaboration and teamwork are part of the agency’s core values, and it really shows. From what I’ve heard over the years, many employees, both past and present, also share the same feeling.
6. What projects do you plan to work on in 2021?
In 2018, Bloom developed a project management software designed to meet our specific needs as a digital agency. Since then, we’ve had the chance to test new features, add functionality and really understand how our team uses the platform. One of my projects in 2021 is to improve the software by simplifying its functionalities and focusing our efforts on features that bring the most value to our team and our customers.