Meet Raheem Sunmonu, Account Executive, Digital and Data

We sat down for five minutes with Raheem to discuss his experience at CSM, from starting as a Group Marketing Intern, to now embarking on a new role in Digital and Data as an Account Executive. In his interview, he talks us through his new day-to-day, one of his career highlights from 2023, and his advice to anyone wanting to break into the sport and entertainment industry.

Can you tell us about a day in the life of being an Account Executive in the Digital and Data Team?

As an account executive, I’m mainly focused on the delivery of campaigns for a range of clients. I work primarily on the SAUDIA and MSC Cruises accounts. A typical day could start with checking in with the team to ensure we’re aligned on goals and requirements for different workstreams, then diving into a range of tasks. This could be building targeted emails, building and reporting on campaigns, analysing large data sets, creating segmented audience lists and more. There’s also time for learning, as the world of digital is ever-advancing. The pace is fast, but it keeps things interesting!

You originally joined CSM’s Group Marketing Team as the Marketing Intern and then you were promoted to Marketing Coordinator. From there, you’ve recently changed roles to join the Digital and Data Team. How did your new career opportunity come about and what made you want to move into a different area of the business?

Starting my career as part of the Group Marketing Team was a great introduction into the world of sport and entertainment, marked by a supportive and outstanding team. During my time there, I had the opportunity to collaborate with various departments across the business, including the Digital and Data team. This exposure is what sparked my interest in the team’s work. I studied Digital Marketing for my masters, so I have always had an interest in that area. I voiced this to my managers who were very encouraging of me pursuing opportunities that aligned with my passions. So, when a position opened in D&D, I made sure to take it! The transition to the D&D team felt like a natural progression and an exciting avenue for career growth.

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Can you tell us about a favourite event / project that you worked on last year, and why it’s a highlight?

Last year, I had the opportunity to work at the Formula E London E-prix, assisting SAUDIA with their innovative Discover E-Zone activation. Throughout the weekend, over 2,500 fans engaged with various activities, from educational games to exciting competitions like Saudia’s Global Flying Lap challenge, the ReGen3rate simulator, and the strike a pose activation with global ambassador Stoffel Vandoorn. In my role, I was part of the CSM support team on the ground, involved in the coordination and execution of the activation for the entire weekend.

This experience stood out because, at the time, I was working in the central department and had limited exposure to client interaction and event participation—something more common in the Brands/Rights teams. The event gave me a feel for how these activations run and how exciting they can be. I also got to watch some of the race, which was something I hadn’t experienced before.

What advice would you give someone starting out in their career wanting to break into the sports and entertainment industry?

I would say an important aspect is being intentional with your search. It’s a competitive industry so narrowing your interests down will help. Try to match your skillset and interests with roles available. I studied and had an interest in marketing and love sports, so my first google search when looking for work after university was ‘sport marketing jobs in London’. Through this I came across the Marketing Intern position at CSM, a few successful interviews later and I had my first role for one of the top agencies in the industry.

When not at work, what can we find you doing?

Outside of work, I’m a semi-professional footballer, playing at a decent level in the non-league pyramid, in the UK. This involves matches and training a few times during the week, but I also enjoy a casual 5-a-side game. These days, perhaps more than structured football (though don’t tell my gaffer). I’ve also recently developed a love for running and aim to complete a half-marathon sometime this year.

I’m a big music fan, so when I can, I’ll be at concerts to see my favourite artists or go to festivals during the summer. I also love travel and have visited 23 countries and counting. My most recent trip was to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a journey that included a surreal moment at the F1 Grand Prix – meeting Ronaldo (R9), one of my childhood idols. It was undeniably a highlight in my life.