Craig Ham
Bachelor of Business (Marketing) graduate
USC graduate Craig Ham is toasting to career success as the Ideation Marketing Manager (Australia/Asia) for the world’s largest premium drinks company, Diageo.
“Not many people in Australia know the Diageo corporate name, however I promise everybody is familiar with our brands—Bundaberg Rum, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Baileys, Gordon’s, UDL and Guinness are some of our more well-known ones,” the Bachelor of Business (Marketing) graduate says.
Craig gained his current position after more than seven years of diverse marketing experience in the Sydney workforce. This included a qualitative research role at marketing information company Taylor Nelson Sofres, and four years at brand consultancy agency Added Value.
“It was at Added Value I discovered the world of ‘ideation’, which is just a fancy marketing word for the development of ideas for brand and company growth,” Craig says.
In 2006, Craig became Diageo’s Ideation Marketing Manager. He says the unique position allows him to focus entirely on innovation and development, by developing new ideas from scratch.
“Being part of a team that has licence to create the future of drinks is really exciting,” Craig says.
“The continuous learning is also fantastic and a key love of what I do. This is my first client-side role, and seeing how hard but rewarding it is to get ideas to market is really insightful.
"The nature of our products also calls for a particular approach to ensure we develop and nurture a responsible drinking culture wherever we operate—I actually really enjoy this side of our challenge and the genuine focus we give this as a business.
“I also work with some amazing people outside the direct Diageo business—from liquid development technicians, to trendwatchers, to designers, to advertising creatives, to leading-edge consumers, to bar owners in suburban Sydney, Ho Chi Minh or Tokyo—you can’t put a price on some of the amazing experiences and amazing people you come across!”
Craig says aside from the obvious benefits of having a university degree—increased job opportunities and exposure to the basics of business—his USC qualification provided more than that.
“I learned how to structure my thinking and present a point-of-view, and I learned the importance of seeing things in different and new lights,” he says.
“Sure, I’ve built on that skill at work, and I really hope to continue to do so in many ways, but I learned the fundamentals of thinking for myself and challenging conventional wisdom when I was at University.”
Craig says while a busy lifestyle can make it hard to stay connected, maintaining a relationship with the University and members of its alumni is important.
“USC was a critical enabler for me, both as a person and a professional,” he says.
“I’m always keen to hear of and see the legacy USC is creating, and the world being created by those that also learned some of their professional and life skills there.”