March Member of the Month, Pranati Wadhawan, Ad Sales Rotational Coordinator, ViacomCBS

Hometown & Current City: 

I grew up in Mumbai, India, but moved to New York at the age of 17 and have been here ever since!

Current or most recent job title and company?

Ad Sales Rotational Coordinator at ViacomCBS

Briefly describe your career journey. 

I’ve always had a fascination for what makes people tick – whether it’s as a student of psychology or media. Because of this, I started my career working in the field of psychology and psychiatry, but quickly pivoted to media as it allowed me to combine my passion for understanding culture while studying the medium culture was shaped by. This led me to dip my toe in every facet of the media world – from working in editorial and production for TV, to being a PA on film and photoshoot sets, to learning media buying and planning on the agency side. My wide-ranging experience made me realize that I wanted to be close to content, but take on more of a strategic thinking role, which led me to the ViacomCBS’ rotation program. The program has allowed me to work in integrated marketing, digital and convergent ad sales, new business sales, data driven advanced advertising and sales planning, ensuring my baseline knowledge is cemented holistically and allowing me to make informed decisions about where I want my career to take me next.

Which three words would you use to describe your personality?

Brave, Inclusive, Determined

Name a woman who inspires you and why. 

The list is endless, but recently it’s been Amanda Gorman. I’ve always admired a strong woman of color, and I think she has used her platform and her bold words to inspire real change in the past few months. As someone who writes poetry, I admire her craft and learn endlessly from her!

What committees/programs are you involved in with She Runs It?

I am currently serving as the DEI Chair for the Young Executives Committee, and am also involved with the Mentoring Committee. Aside from volunteer involvement, I’ve been part of both individual and group mentoring sessions over the past two years, both of which have been extremely rewarding experiences for me! Through SRI I have met and created such meaningful connections with so many women that inspire and encourage me, and I am very grateful for them and the organization.

What’s one initiative within the YE committee that you would recommend to a new young executive member?

Join the monthly meetings! It’s a great place to meet and network with some outstanding ladies and to learn from their journeys and successes, as well as find out about initiatives within the YE Committee like (plug!) the DEI Sub-Committee, Book Club, and online volunteering opportunities.

What is one activity or thing that keeps you sane during this stay at home period?

I’ve been doing a lot of boxing to punch away the frustrations of being locked in! I’ve also been teaching myself how to play the keyboard, so that I can say I came out of quarantine with at least one new skill…