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Dynamic Connections: A Conversation with Ainul Huda, SVP of Global Consumer Growth and Product Marketing at Condé Nast

In today’s constantly evolving world, human connections are often what distinguish successful leaders from the rest. Jeff Rosenthal, co-CEO of ProjectNext, recently had the opportunity to connect with Ainul Huda, the new SVP of Consumer Growth & Product Marketing at Condé Nast, whose diverse experiences, and values-driven approach offer a wealth of insights for today’s senior and emerging leaders. Ainul is a highly respected leader in the organization, known for being effective in working across all parts and levels of the company.


Jeff: Ainul, it’s great to see you. Why don’t you tell us a bit about your journey of how you got to where you are today.


Ainul: My career has been nonlinear and very driven by curiosity. If you had told a young Ainul that I’d be working for Condé Nast, for Anna Wintour, with a bunch of creatives, I would have said “Are you serious?!” Where I’ve ended up is very surprising to me, from a location, industry, and even a culture perspective, and not what I would have guessed I’d be doing as a young kid.


I’ll start with where I’m from because it’s important. I come from a small town in Assam, in the northeast of India. Assam is a small community, mostly known for its tea and one-horned rhinos. Going from Assam to Delhi or Mumbai is a big deal. But going from Assam to London or New York (where I am now) – that surprised my friends and family.


I also grew up as a very technical guy. I started my career as a data engineer, right out of school, working for a few years in India and London for big consulting firms. After moving to the US for my MBA (University of Rochester, NY), I worked in marketing and finance analytics at Verizon Media, eventually leading sizable teams and budgets in performance marketing and audience development. I had a stint at WeWork for a year and a half, where I ran and built their data and analytics team to drive revenue-based decisioning across marketing, product, and sales. Ten years ago, I probably