Title:GEMA Externship: Where Are They Now? Sydney Smith-Banner (B’11)

In her current role as Manager, Global Franchise Strategy at Universal Products & Experiences atNBCUniversal, Sydney focuses on the brand management, brand marketing, and marketing strategy for NBCUniversal’s consumer products business, specifically working on titles within their live-action portfolio. Her team serves as the conduit between the studio / television groups within NBCUniversal and their consumer products licensees.

What was your first job?

My first real job in the industry was as an executive assistant at Maker Studios, a digital startup that went on to be one of the largest multi-channel networks in the YouTube space that eventually was acquired by The Walt Disney Company. At the time, I supported 3 members of the executive team: the EVP of Business Development and Operations, the SVP of Marketing, and the Chief Technology Officer. I later transitioned into an account management role on the platform management and optimization team, and I think that’s where I got my first taste of brand/IP management since we were responsible for using engagement data from user generated content on YouTube on behalf of our clients to inform brand/IP management, monetization strategy, and marketing strategy. When Maker was acquired by Disney, we transitioned that work from 3rd party clients to different business units within Disney, such as ABC, Disney Channel, Marvel, ESPN, and more.

What was your first “big break” into your industry? Or, what is the most significant experience you have had that has made your success possible?

A huge turning point in my career was when I had the incredible opportunity to join the franchise management organization at Disney. It was a pretty big pivot since my career had been predominantly in digital operations up until that point, but I knew I wanted to work closer to the IP itself as well as having a more marketing-focused role and working in franchise management was the perfect marriage of those two, and I haven’t looked back since.

What do you do in your job now? What is your favorite part of your current position?

I work on the global franchise strategy team at Universal Products & Experiences, the consumer products organization within NBCUniversal, and I specifically work on the team that manages the live-action portfolio. We are the brand marketing arm of the consumer products division, and we do everything from setting the long-term strategy for our brands and franchises in conjunction with our counterparts at the studio to working with our licensees on their programs and campaigns for their upcoming launches. My favorite part of my current position is that I get to work on Wicked and Wicked: For Good and I just get to talk about the story and these characters all day every day. I tell people all the time that half of the fun of working in franchise is that you get to geek out 24/7 on the IP that you work on.

What was the externship experience like for you? Did it have an influence on your career/help kickstart your career?

I loved my experience during my externship. I remember meeting plenty of impressive and higher up people in the industry that gave great advice, but I also remember meeting more recent alums that were just starting out their careers. I found those conversations to be extremely rewarding because I admittedly had a very amorphous idea of what I wanted to do, but when I actually had those real conversations during my externship, I think it helped with grounding me in what an actual career in entertainment could look like.

What part(s) of the Externship did you find most valuable?

The most valuable part of the externship for me was it gave me tangible and actionable things that I could start looking into or working on to prepare me for getting a job in the industry. I found that having those conversations with real people in the industry gave me a sense of focus on what I needed to do to hit the ground running after graduation to get started in the industry. I’m a very tactical person by nature so having that immediate list of things to do was extremely helpful!

What was your experience like attending Georgetown? Were there any particularly formative experiences that were special to you?

I loved my time on the Hilltop! It’s such a unique place to attend college and to come into who you will become as a fully-realized adult. Also, when I knew I wanted to be in the entertainment industry, I took as many film and media classes that I could fit into my schedule at Georgetown, and the learnings that I took from those classes have stayed with me all these years later. The classes that still stand out in my mind are Professor John Glavin’s famous screenwriting class, an intro to film studies class, and a history of television class. My roommate and I also took full advantage of Lau’s massive collection of movies and DVDs and constantly checked out movies and full seasons of TV shows from the library to watch every weekend.

What’s your advice for an undergraduate trying to break into your industry? Is there anything you would tell your younger self now?

Raise your hand for new opportunities that may be outside of your comfort zone, especially early on in your career. It not only shows your willingness to take on challenges but it also helps with diversifying your skill set. It doesn’t necessarily mean taking on additional responsibilities in your job, but it could be getting involved in an employee group at your company. I was able to develop leadership experience through leading a committee in an employee resource group at Disney, which I believe helped me pivot into my first role in franchise.

Name someone in your career who has been a valuable mentor or role model to you and why?

I have been fortunate enough to have a lot of women leaders in my career, so I have found that to be extremely valuable. Currently, my leadership team is led by mostly women and they have been so vocal about championing me and celebrating my wins, no matter how big or small. However, I also believe in horizontal networking as well. A lot of the opportunities that I have had have come from the horizontal networking that I’ve done over the years. I’ve also forged really great friendships through this kind of networking that have lasted past being coworkers. 

To read other “GEMA Externship: Where Are They Now?” posts, click here.