Meet Peter Hankach, Account Manager at FP7 McCann
Originally Lebanese, born and raised in the UAE, Peter graduated from AUB with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, followed with a Master’s degree at Grenoble Ecole de Management, France, in Innovation, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship.
He first started working in media at PHD before getting into the creative world, handling some of his favorite FMCG brands under Arla Foods for the Account Management department.
Peter has an immense passion for strategic thinking and creativity, which he enjoys sharing with his colleagues.
On a personal level, he is a big water geek and enjoys sampling different water brands and sources from all around the world.
Why did you join this industry?
Ever since I was a child, my parents have been educating me about advertising, from little things like watching commercials on TV to looking at large billboards on my way to school. These experiences are the determining factors behind my career decision, fueled by research and first-hand experience.
How did you land your first job?
As I’ve grown older, I have kept my passion in place by using every summer holiday to go on as many internships as possible under the over- arching umbrella of advertising, getting into PR, media, and creative agencies, and even visiting suppliers to get a hands-on experience on how an idea is brought to life.
Who do you look up to?
I look up to many of the oldies, specifically Claude Hopkins for his educational role on the importance of hygiene through Pepsodent – teaching the world the importance of brushing your teeth – and the importance of comms with Palmolive. He shifted the message from fear to a more hopeful/beauty-based approach.
What’s the best advice you have received so far?
“All you need is patience, persistence, confidence, and hunger. From there, results will follow.” This saying has followed me year after year, repeated to me as time and experiences passed.
What’s the best advice you have given so far?
My best advice is, “Be kind, always,” as you will be rewarded with whatever you put out in this world multiple folds.
How do you feel about the stigma sometimes associated with Millennials and Gen Z?
I believe time and experiences justify each generation’s condition. While Millennials are more optimistic about the future, Gen Zers are more grounded and realistic, hit by many obstacles, from recessions to cold wars. This does not mean the new generation is not facing difficult times ahead. Covid showed us clearly that these stigmas repeat themselves throughout history.
What do you think you specifically bring to the organization you work for?
I bring as much value as any other member in my team and department. I offer a service to create meaningful work with people I love.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned at work?
Teamwork, persistence, and patience, as well as hunger to look for more within the limita- tion across the board – be it budget, timelines, guidelines, etc.
What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?
Having an open view on things. Working on so many brands gets you exposed to many fields whereas others work for a single brand and industry all their lives. This makes our job exciting and constantly changing. In addition, some brands teach you ways to improve your lifestyle. I was lucky to work on Arla; that taught me to appreciate organic, natural, free from hormones, additives, or preservative foods.
What’s the most frustrating thing about your job?
Having to manage so many parties, which some- times can be seen as an obstacle for great work, considering that there are a lot of external fac- tors that can play in favor of or against your plan. Having few decision-makers makes for a more agile process that inspires creativity with no boundaries.
If not this, what would you be doing?
I would be traveling the world to keep learning new things and gain as many experiences as humanly possible. It has always been crucial for me to stay thirsty for knowledge and experience. I once read a beautiful quote by Mahatma Gandhi, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
Would you start your own venture in the future?
This is one of my business and personal goals in life. I wrote a thesis back in grad school about the growing importance and integration of AI/ deep learning in the advertising world, showing examples of how creativity is not exclusive to humans; machines too can craft great ads using data they have been provided with.
