Alumni Spotlight: Fraser on Digital Media Careers
Development and principal at PlaceWise Digital
Jeffrey Fraser (Pardee ’94) serves as the Senior Vice President of Business Development and principal at PlaceWise Digital, one of the largest shopper media networks in the United States and provider of digital marketing services to more than 800 shopping centers across North America.
Fraser, a digital media and telecom executive with 24 years of international product, sales and service management experience, also currently serves as a board member to StrataNet Group Limited in Hong Kong and in an advisory capacity to Cogentic Advisors and AP Telecom.
What Fraser enjoys most about his current role at PlaceWise Digital is the opportunity to focus on both big picture projects as well as the day to day execution of the company’s business development strategy.
“As an owner of the business, I have a responsibility to understand our marketplace and set a direction for the organization. While at the same time, as the head of sales, my job is to execute on that plan day to day,” Fraser said. “Managing the two very different activities simultaneously is a lot of fun, and recognizing how they influence and complement each other is a constant source of positive energy for me.”
According to Fraser, studying at the Pardee School and being a member of Boston University’s Core Curriculum inaugural class in 1989 were both integral to his development as an interdisciplinary thinker.
“In addition to being a Pardee School alum, I was extremely fortunate to be a member of the Core Curriculum’s inaugural class in 1989. The interdisciplinary blending of the humanities, social science, and natural science had a profound impact on my development as a student, but more importantly as a thinker,” Fraser said. “I did not know it at the time, but the two years in Core and then the two years of International Relations would shape the way I run my business.”
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Fraser, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Pardee School with a BA in International Relations, said his time at the Pardee School helped him develop the ability to critically analyze his beliefs about business issues.
“It’s very easy in business to become myopic and fail to recognize how your individual business situation fits into a bigger context of a global marketplace. On the other hand, it turns out to be quite difficult to constantly challenge your own beliefs and understanding of business issues,” Fraser said. “Exercising both disciplines were instilled in me as a student at BU. I was fortunate that professors in both programs taught us to how to tackle tough intellectual topics, and to be critical in our analyses while thoughtful in our conclusions.”
Fraser stressed the importance for current Pardee School students, especially those interested in pursuing careers in digital media, to focus their studies on subjects that they are passionate about.
“My advice to Pardee Students is to keep studying what you really enjoy, and don’t worry about the direct applicability to the job world once you graduate. Most likely, any industry or field you are going to enter is in a state of rapid evolution,” Fraser said. “For example, in my field of digital media, many industry best practices from four years ago when you started school are now obsolete.”
Fraser said solid writing skills, problem solving ability, and a demonstrated knowledge and passion about the position you’re applying to are crucial for Pardee School students about to enter the job market.
“When promoting yourself for a role in fast moving organization, emphasize how you think and problem solve,” Fraser said. “As a business owner considering you for my team, I want to know if you can write well, do you think on your feet, are you comfortable with complex problems, and have you demonstrated passion towards anything. If I see those traits in you, I figure that I can teach you the specifics of our industry and our business very quickly.”
Prior to acquiring PlaceWise Digital, Fraser was a Director with Cogentic Advisors out of Chicago, IL, an advisory firm that specializes in developing, incubating and funding innovations in the media and telecom industry. Fraser also served as the Senior Director of the mCommerce and Mobile Ad Innovation Groups for XIUS in Woburn, MA. As an Innovation Head for XIUS, he managed Product Marketing and Business Development for emerging product lines, including for Near Field Communication (NFC) Mobile Commerce. At XIUS, Fraser published several industry white papers and co-authored a patent application for Rule Triggered Mobile Advertising.
As an executive with the e-KONG Group from 1999-2004, Fraser was instrumental in developing and operating enhanced voice and data services in Hong Kong, Singapore, and the U.S. Fraser joined as one of five founding executives in September of 1999. Prior to joining e-KONG, Fraser held several positions at UNIFI Communications. Among his positions were Operations Specialist, Greater China; and General Manager, UNIFI Taiwan.