PCSB Alumni Spotlight: A Social Situation

As mentioned in previous social media posts, the Providence College School of Business recently sent The Benjamin Family Social Media Fellowship members to New York City. The purpose of this trip? To delve even deeper into the social media world at the offices of Facebook and Google. The discussion leaders of this trip? Who better than three Providence College alumni: Adam Benjamin ’91, Bill Masterson ’97, and Ryan Olohan ’96.

Welcome to Facebook: meet Adam Benjamin. Benjamin graduated in 1991 with a degree in Business and hasn’t stopped since. After co-founding the company UGENmedia, Adam found himself at Facebook where he is currently the Manager in the Global Marketing Solutions department at Facebook NYC. “Be curious…do everything, be a sponge,” stated Benjamin in a recent talk to students at PC. These words to live by have seemingly opened up door after door for Benjamin. During the visit to Facebook for the Fellows, they were able to hear about the experience that recent grads have had at the company and how what they learned in school prepared them for where they are today.

Welcome to Twitter: meet Bill Masterson. Masterson graduated from PC in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. After graduating, Bill became an Analyst with Nielsen amongst other jobs including working with Facebook and Google later in life. However, Masterson’s most recent adventure has placed him as the Head of Global Advertising Performance of Twitter. When talking with Bill, the secrets of a successful ad campaign were released. Masterson discussed the idea that campaign success comes from first party data, also known as intent data and platform data. Learning about the backside to Twitter was definitely not something you could talk about in under 140 characters.

Welcome to Google: meet Ryan Olohan. Olohan graduated from PC in 1996 and soon began working for Hewitt Associates. After a few different jobs, Olohan found himself at Google in 2007 and has been there ever since. Today, he holds to title of a National Industry Director of Healthcare. When the fellows were with him, he discussed the innovative side of Google and what the future of healthcare could look like. This included contact lenses that could help diabetics monitor their blood sugar levels and even a self-driving car.

Needless to say, these Providence grads are helping to shape the social sphere of our ever-changing world through their impacts as both individuals and as a team. The Fellows were able to see how Facebook is so much more than a social networking site and how Google is not just a search engine; we’re excited to see what comes next. From the PCSB to Adam, Bill, and Ryan: thank you for taking the time to sit down and talk with all of us!