James Levy: “The idea of progress is in our DNA”

When James Levy was a schoolchild, he lived next door to a friend. The two football obsessives knocked down the separating fence, creating a space for all their friends to come and play the game. 

“When I picture myself as a kid, I always have a football,” laughs Levy, the UK’s MD and VP Strategic Sales for Adstream (now Extreme Reach). It’s been a constant presence in his life ever since; during his year of study abroad in Barcelona “football played a part too, I got to meet Messi.” 

The long months of lockdown made Levy miss watching his team, Spurs, play, although he admits that it’s not exactly a relaxing pastime. Still, the camaraderie of being in the crowd and partaking in the game day ritual with his brother and dad make every second worth it. 

I see my role as supporting the team and helping them to grow. 

Making the connection between Levy’s love of the team sport to the pride he feels in supporting and watching the UK team grow might be a little too on the nose, but the enthusiasm that he brings to both is undeniable. “What motivates me is my team, that’s definitely the most rewarding part. 

"I see my role as supporting the team and helping them to grow. I’ve been very fortunate to oversee the promotion of a few people and watch them progress - it’s very fulfilling.”

When trying to think of his favourite ad, Ladbrokes’ Balloon sprung to mind first. The 60-second spot follows a red balloon through an office and city streets, inviting people to engage in an infectious impromptu game of keepy-uppy. It’s fun, full of camaraderie, and references football - all the things Levy loves most.

Adstream is only the second company Levy has ever worked for; before joining, he knew that the company had a reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship, which seemed attractive, but not a whole lot else - he’s now been with the company for 14 years, holding multiple roles within the business. 

“I started as a business analyst, switched into our product team, then moved to the accounts side, and now lead the strategic sales of the business,” says Levy. He credits getting to know different parts of the business with where he is today and champions this approach for graduates just starting out. 

“For our graduate scheme, I came up with the name ‘Gradstream’ but it never caught on - I’m not sure why! We’re on a great growth trajectory and we’re bringing on a lot of new starters. Our onboarding programme ensures that people spend time with every department; I really believe that it’s the best way to understand our business, which is fairly niche. 

"We’ve hired a lot of people who have never worked in the industry before and they have learned by doing; we then see them rocket through. The idea of progress is in our DNA and I love watching people develop, it’s something I think about whenever we’re hiring.”

The idea of progress is in our DNA.

It’s then unsurprising that Levy is passionate about the role that mentorship plays in the industry. “Mentorship is improving, but I think having more mentors accessible to those just joining the industry is something that needs more work still. We need to be passing the experience onto the younger generation; first jobs can be really scary. Giving more people in that position a support system would be great,“ says Levy. 

He also sees mentorship as the tool for increasing accessibility industry-wide, making it more welcoming to any groups who may have in the past felt like it wasn’t the right place for them. “Mentorship definitely improves accessibility, which then has an overall positive domino effect.”