Welcome to our edition of our employee spotlight series! Today, we're excited to introduce Montana Wilson, Opensignal’s PR Executive based in New Zealand. Join us as we get to know her, her journey to where she is today, and her role at Opensignal.
What is your role and what are your main responsibilities?
I am a PR Executive, and my main responsibilities are to engage with the media and ensure they receive our most recent and relevant reports and analyses for their markets. Essentially, we are storytellers who want to make sure our story is being told in the press.
What motivated you to pursue a career in PR?
I started as a Marketing Executive with the company in 2019 and learned everything I know about Public Relations through my experience here. I’ve been fortunate to have such great managers and colleagues who have taken me under their wings and taught me so much. PR is a fun, dynamic, diverse, and challenging field, engaging with telecoms, tech, and national news journalists worldwide.
What does a week look like for you?
Being based in New Zealand but working with a global team sees me up early in the morning, but I love it. Coffee is my best friend! My week includes preparing media lists and emails, engaging with media across different markets, translating reports, handling external PR outreach, helping journalists liaise with our analysts to give them the answers they need to achieve their tight deadlines, and monitoring our media coverage. I love seeing our coverage roll in!
How does this role differ at Opensignal from other experiences you’ve had?
I have had many different roles over the years and at past companies, from general market researcher to financial analyst. While I may not be diving deeply into Excel sheets and writing analysis anymore, I can draw on my past experiences in understanding and deciphering what the data is showing us, taking into consideration what is important to our readers and finding that key story to tell, with a bit of pizzazz of course.
How would you describe Opensignal in 3 words?
Inclusivity, Flexibility, Storytellers
What’s the most unique part about working here?
Despite living at the bottom of the world, I always feel included and supported, as if I'm right there in the office. That’s a really nice feeling.
How does a fully remote job work for you?
It's really nice not having to commute to work, I'm definitely more of a homebody and do my best work with little interruption. However, It's really important to me that I connect with my colleagues during the week to feel a part of the team and keep up to date on company news, so being available for calls either early in the morning or late at night is worth it. Since we are such a global company, Opensignal does a great job at creating virtual events for everyone to attend if they can. My favorite is the current virtual zombie team steps challenge; it was so much fun last year!
What is your favorite part of your job?
I enjoy interacting with journalists and seeing them get excited about our analysis just as much as we are. It's always nice talking to people in the southern hemisphere too. I also enjoy the internal and external collaborations, from brainstorming with analysts to finding new speaking opportunities.
You recently became a new parent. How was the adjustment after welcoming your baby girl and returning from maternity leave?
I wouldn’t have adjusted as easily as I did if not for the support of my manager, my team, the company, and my family. It's not an easy decision to be apart from your child, but my daughter loves her daycare providers and even at 6 months old she is like, “bye mum!” I enjoyed the time we got together on maternity leave and now I enjoy the balance of having a career and being the best mum to her.
What support strategies do you find most useful as you navigate the changes that come with being a new parent?
The way Opensignal cares for its soon-to-be and postpartum mums is top-notch! I felt like I didn’t have to worry about or focus on anything other than my daughter during my leave, and my manager made sure that I felt ready and supported upon my return. I came back full-time but the option to do part-time was there, and I was eased back into work for the first week or so. The company was also amazing when it came to understanding and implementing NZ laws into my maternity leave. I really appreciated that.
If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Great question! Mine would be Omnilingualism - the ability to decipher and speak all languages.
What TV show/movie are you ashamed to admit you love?
The Real Housewives franchise! I’m not sure I’m ashamed to admit that, it's great trash TV. I’ve also watched The Office (US) 9 times, and every winter I rewatch it so it's almost time to do it again!
Where’s your favorite place in the world?
I lived in Canada for two years and I miss it. It's like New Zealand but on steroids.
How do you unwind?
Life is pretty busy at the moment and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but if I get a moment to sit still I love to read. There is a pile of books to get through right now.
What’s next on your bucket list?
I’m planning a trip to NYC in 2025 with my sisters and daughter. Possibly stopping in at our Boston office?
Interested in learning more about the Opensignal team? In our recent employee spotlights we got to know more about:
- Ryan, a Client Analytics & Insights manager
- Sam, a Senior Analyst
- Lisa, a Data Scientist
- Harley, a Customer Success Specialist
- Yi En, a Customer Success Manager
- Cristian, a Senior Software Development Manager
- Aïcha, our Head of Consumer Insights
- Rafa, an Account Director
- Sambodh, a Market Research Analyst, and
- Leire, our Legal Counsel
Want to know more about Opensignal? Have a look at our About page or browse around the Careers page to find your next opportunity!
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