Christopher Køltzow

Tell us a bit about yourself

Well, I have always had a passion for creating things - in all shapes and forms. After finishing my bachelor in art direction I spent a few years in different start-ups, before the need for more structure and a normal salary forced me out of that exciting space.

I have now enjoyed more than 9 years in the advertising industry, including about 5 years in one of the most prominent names in the world of advertising, Saatchi and Saatchi. My role there was a mix between being a developer, creative and designer. My most recent position was with TRY Apt, which is the creative tech branch of TRY. There, I did a bit of design, but my main role was as creative director and strategist for projects, and for driving innovation.

Seems like you’re drawn towards the creative side then?

I just have to create something at all times! Some might see me as a workaholic, but I’m just doing what I love, and that curiousness to learn new things never stops for me. I have had so many side projects, and to be able to execute those ideas, I have had to learn a lot of things myself and not necessarily rely on others. I can now say that I have 15 years of experience being a full-stack developer and a full-stack designer, which gives me the skill-set to do a lot of different things within creative and innovative processes.

So you’ve learned all this by yourself?

If you have the passion and curiosity, you can learn anything. I’ve met so many skilled people that are self-taught in what they do. If the desire to learn comes from a genuine place, the learning will never feel like work.

What will be your role at Marketer?

All my curiosity and attention will now be focused on Marketer, and I look forward to this with great immensity. My title is Chief Product Officer and my responsibility evolves around creating a strategy for all of Marketers products while making sure this is implemented in all our daily operations. This includes the quality of the products, that they constantly deliver on customer expectations, product development, as well as the management of our individual product managers. Summed up - making sure Marketer continues to have the best products in the market, creating good internal routines, and making sure that we are constantly product-focused and driving innovation.

That’s quite an extensive role!

Yes it is, but luckily there are so many talented and self-driven people at Marketer. That’s actually what I love the most about this company, the environment is so driven and fueled by motivation. People come in every day with so much energy and enthusiasm for creating something. It's also a very exciting time to be working within real estate. Even though the market has been somewhat unstable during the current pandemic, there is always a lot happening. Buying and selling a property is such a big investment for people, and I find it very rewarding and exciting to be a part of having a positive influence on that transaction.

If you could describe yourself with one word, what would it be?

Hmm, that’s a hard one. But I think creative force would be the best describing word. As mentioned, I have a lot of ideas and interests within different subjects - one year I was making art, another year my focus was in game design. My most recent interest is writing a graphic novel, and learning everything there is to know about that. There’s so much to learn out there, so it feels like a waste of time not to learn as much as I can. However, I have just become a father, so of course most of my focus outside of Marketer is with the baby now.

Name three items you would bring with you on a deserted island:

1. A laptop - Because I could use that for activities such as writing a book, drawing, designing a game, and so on.
2. A newly bought t-shirt - Because nothing is better than putting on a fresh t-shirt.
3. The typical Norwegian spread “leverpostei” - Because in my opinion that is the only thing you really need to eat, ever.