Tom Kegelman joined our team as Managing Director of our Higher Ed vertical at the beginning of the year. Having worked at both Villanova and Temple respectively, Tom is an expert in higher education marketing on a national and international stage. With his expertise on the front lines of the higher ed industry, Tom brings a proper dose of dry humor to the team. We recently grabbed lunch with our newest team member to learn more about him and his role at eCity. Welcome aboard, Tom!
What is your daily routine at eCity Interactive?
Before I get to the office, I usually try to crank up the music and hit up my virtual cycling trainer—feel free to find me on Strava! When I get to the office, I’m probably on my third cup of coffee (please don’t tell my cardiologist), so I’m successfully awake enough to deal with my newfound nemesis, the office network printer.
If you had a week off, you’d spend it…
On a beach in Mexico… and I left my phone at home.
Describe your resume at a glance.
I’ve spent the bulk of my career working in the Wine & Spirits industry and Higher Education. One might think that’s an odd combination, and perhaps to a degree it is. One of my final classes within my MBA program while working in Boston was in non-profit fundraising. The class really opened my eyes in terms of how I could apply my marketing background in a way that I felt more personally rewarded, so I took a role at Villanova University and pivoted careers. We crushed it at Villanova by introducing a unique marketing campaign, implementing new enrollment management initiatives, and establishing an extremely successful satellite location in Philadelphia, which continues to thrive to this day. Temple noticed our success, and they asked me to take the concepts I learned at Villanova and apply them on a macro scale. Branding, enrollment management, recruiting and starting satellite locations helped once again drive great results. Ultimately, the opportunity of applying my higher ed background within an agency setting at eCity Interactive was too good to pass up. I’m looking forward to this next chapter!
Give me a pearl of wisdom related to what you do.
Crawl. Walk. Run. I believe it’s important to test things before getting too excited about a new concept right away. Always test an idea, then progressively implement it as you become sure it’s going to drive results.
Why did you want to join eCity?
See #3. In addition, I’ve known the eCity team for a few years and I always had a great deal of respect for their work product and culture. It just seemed like a great fit.
Who or what do you draw inspiration from?
I’m competitive with myself. Growing up in a family of 5 (I’m number 4 out of the 5), we had a friendly but competitive environment. While we can still throw down at the ping pong table during family gatherings, I’ve shifted much of my competitive spirit to focusing on overcoming my own personal goals as opposed to competing with others. (Minus ping pong, of course.)
What has been the highlight of your time here thus far?
I’ve been struck by the entrepreneurial spirit of eCity. From the meetings to my daily interactions, people are genuinely interested in hearing new ideas to propel the organization. (The profound amount of gourmet donuts comes in as a close second!)
The best restaurant in Philadelphia is…
Dim Sum Garden. Del Friscos. And I’ve been hard pressed to find a margarita I like more than at El Vez.
