157. Marketing Communications CEO Advises Clarity, Realism, Steadiness
Will Ketchum
Will Ketchum, President and CEO of Burdette Ketchum, is a 26-year veteran of the marketing communications field. Joining the Jacksonville, Florida, firm in 1999, he rose to the top in 2011.The proud father of Kaiden, 17, and Ben, 15, Will has been married for 20 years to Missy Ketchum.
How Did You Start Using Your Talents?
As an English major at Vanderbilt, Will enjoyed creative writing and working on the University’s literary magazine but didn’t envision a literary career after graduation. Swept up in the regional banking boom of the mid-1980s—an apparent career detour—he picked up business skills he would later use at Burdette Ketchum.
The Most Impactful Turning Point?
Banking was not Will’s passion. He moved to Georgia and found a job “at what was the hot ad shop of Atlanta, a great creative firm.” Although he was drawn to creative people, he decided to “round out my English major with an M.B.A.” and return to agency work with a strong business perspective.
The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?
“You can’t find the perfect job unless you can find out what you’re really meant to do. There are tools that can help you figure that out. When you have that clarity, it changes everything: the way you search for a career and find your own career sweet spot.”
On His Bookshelf
The One Minute Manager, by Kenneth H. Blanchard and Spencer Johnson
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable, by Patrick Lencioni
Connecting With Will Ketchum
Email: wketchum@burdetteketchum.co
Website: www.burdetteketchum.com
Twitter: @BurdetteKetchum
Facebook: facebook.com/BurdetteKetchum/?fref=ts
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/will-ketchum-6a9940a
