With oversight of more than 60 sales partnerships across 70 cities, Kissel’s influence is truly industry-wide. This past year she secured a critical partnership with Sparklight, renewed more than 50 contracts and signed on 20 new partners. Kissel often refers to something her executive coach, Brian Houp, has told her: There’s no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone. “Change is hard, but I’ve learned getting uncomfortable leads to the most impact. These words are on a Post-it note on my desk,” Kissel says. Viamedia Chief Marketing & People Officer Becky Jones knew Kissel was going to be a force from when she first joined the firm as an intern. “Her desire to learn, her tenacity, her ability to grasp new concepts, new technologies and lean into innovative ways to approach our industry made it easy for her to rise to the star she is today,” Jones says. Kissel likes to say that Viamedia took a chance on her and that she wasn’t their first choice, but she was determined to prove she was the right one. “Everyone just needs a place to start, it’s up to them to decide how far they want to go,” she says. Kissel is far from those intern days, but she’s stayed involved in the program and tries to lead by example. “Frustrations can be high with multiple and oftentimes conflicting priorities. We can’t make one person or one department more important than the next. Everyone is critical to the ecosystem,” she says.
CHAMPION
Becky Jones
“I’d be lying if I didn’t say that selfishly I hope in five years I’m still working with Madeline because I enjoy working with her that much… but honestly in five years, Madeline could be doing quite literally anything she wants.”