Pauline Cronin, 28, is head of accounts for verb. She's based in Brooklyn, N.Y. A quote from her nomination: "From memorizing Jerry Seinfeld’s salad dressing to orchestrating budgets and communication around viral pop culture activations, there is one thing Pauline Cronin does not care about: a job description. As arguably one of the youngest heads of accounts for a U.S.-based experiential marketing agency, verb, Pauline dedicates her working hours to pursuing vision for her clients, with no venture too big and no detail too small."
What my day-to-day looks like: "It varies. What I love about our industry is that no day is exactly the same. While most of my days consist of virtual meetings with our remote team and clients, my favorite days are ones where I am on site for a project and able to flex my 'producer' muscle by working alongside our team and clients IRL to produce groundbreaking experiences."
My career journey: "I began my career in TV and commercial production (I wanted to be a TV producer!) where I held various support roles: one being a director’s assistant and the other being a production coordinator. I loved this time of my life. I built relationships that I still have to this day, fell in love with the art of production and bringing stories to life, and learned incredibly valuable skills such as how to seek out a perfectly ripe tomato worthy of a Subway ad.
From there, I made the jump to agency life as an account coordinator at CIVIC Entertainment Group, working on the Airbnb and WeWork business. The stars truly aligned: My boss was Shannon Jones (co-founder of verb). I instantly fell in love with the world of experiential, our clients, and my team. I knew that I wanted to be all in and worked my booty off every day, continuously tackling huge projects with gusto. I loved it.
Cronin led her agency's team dedicated to the Airbnb "Only On" programs, spearheading projects such as Only On Airbnb: Home Alone and Only On Airbnb: Sex and the City.Photo: Tara Rice
Enter: verb. A year-ish later, Shannon and Yadira approached me to be a founding member of team verb. It was the easiest 'yes' I have ever made. I started out as a senior account coordinator, assisting everywhere I could, and within a year ended up lead producing my first event. Within two years, I was leading our agency team dedicated to the Airbnb 'Only On' programs, spearheading projects such as Only On Airbnb: Home Alone, and Only On Airbnb: Sex and the City. Through it all, Shannon and Yadira have been a guiding light, imparting their brilliance on me every step of the way. Now, almost six years later, as verb’s head of accounts, I am so proud of what they have built, and proud of my part in it."
What inspires me: "Deep, heartfelt conversations (you know those!) inspire me the most. There is nothing better than a conversation that makes me think hard, see the world in new ways, and connect with people on a real, sometimes raw, level. These conversations are my jam—sparking my curiosity, empathy, and perspective on life."
My greatest career accomplishment: "Bringing HBO’s campaign to life in promotion of Michaela Coel’s show I May Destroy You. When COVID hit in 2020, we were forced to shift the campaign to the virtual plane and were instantly faced with the question, 'How do we bring together the masses in a compelling and authentic way through a virtual experience while still honoring the deeply personal subject matter of the show?'
We ended up bringing the campaign to social media by partnering with BIPOC creators and brands to host a series of live social conversations about the topics of trauma, sexual wellness, drug use, and therapy that the show covered. Through our work, we were able to provide mental health resources for Black and Brown communities, creating a truly 'safe space' of the internet."
"Seeing the absolute joy on attendees’ faces and witnessing firsthand how they felt seen and celebrated was a moment that I will never forget. It’s the reason I keep doing what I am doing," Cronin says of ROI: The Millionaires Summit that she spearheaded in 2022/2023.Photo: Rob Zambrano
My most memorable event: "The first ROI: The Millionaires Summit that I spearheaded in 2022/2023. Producing ROI was incredibly personal, as it was the first truly proprietary event that I built from the ground up for 1,000 attendees with a slate of well-known and impactful speakers. I crafted the name, mission statement, and curated the programming. The blood, sweat, and tears were real on this one. The entire process lasted a year from start to finish—a year of building a team, sowing intention into every detail of the experience, and collaborating with the amazing Hello Seven team to craft their vision and bring it to life. Seeing the absolute joy on attendees’ faces and witnessing firsthand how they felt seen and celebrated was a moment that I will never forget. It’s the reason I keep doing what I am doing."
The advice I would give my younger self: "Research and ask questions to understand your clients and partners beyond surface-level KPIs. What are their business goals? How has their business 'shown up' in the world recently? What are their competitors doing well (or not well)? What is their organizational structure? Who are the key approvers and 'derailers' on their side? With this deep level of knowledge and insight, you will not only overdeliver on the experience you create, but will be seen as a true strategic partner, both to your own teams and to your clients."
