Guy Tino
Current Employer/Organisation Name
MRC Entertainment
What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?
Following my amazing year in the Kenyon/Exeter program from 1990-91, I graduated from Kenyon College with a BA in English in 1992. I worked in music distribution for several years in the mid-’90s with Alliance Entertainment, then joined Nielsen on their CPG-information side in 1998. A few years later I switched over to the media side, and have been fully involved with the music business on the customer success side ever since. I began with working on the radio charts as a liaison between the record labels and Billboard, then helped to put together the Soundscan album charts on the production side, and currently I’m putting all of that knowledge to work assisting our clients with their queries about the latest iterations of our products.
Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?
Though I have always loved music and have been a musician since childhood, I originally intended to be a journalist. So a career in the business was somewhat accidental! But I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with my colleagues, a number of whom have been with the company for the last two decades, and to be up close watching the industry change has been fascinating. I also really enjoy helping to drive solutions for our clients. Our new parent company, MRC, is very involved in the pursuit of social justice and the initiatives toward diversity and inclusion currently underway within many US companies. I am proud of our stance on these issues and am excited to be a part of our continued steps forward.
Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?
Singer/songwriter with campus band Iridescent Radish. DJ at University Radio Exeter.
What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?
The thirteen of us in the Kenyon/Exeter program had an amazing experience we would not trade for anything. The course put together by our US professor took us outside the classroom to the Moors, Stratford, London, Lyme Regis and many other locales related to the works we were reading. Richard Maltby’s cinema classes were terrific.
What did you enjoy most about studying here?
We loved the campus and all of its opportunities to participate in various activities. Several of my Kenyon classmates were part of plays performed on campus, which was great fun to watch. In addition to my musical exploits, I also hosted a radio show on Sunday nights on URE. Hope Hall had a fantastic group of students who welcomed us immediately, and I still keep in touch with quite a few of them today. The campus and town were endlessly walkable.
Why did you choose to study at Exeter?
The program was highly regarded at Kenyon, and the fact that only 13 of us were selected to attend made it all the more special.
What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?
Microsoft Office Suite, frequent collaboration with colleagues, a willingness to learn and to be mentored.
What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?
Be patient in your search. The job market is fraught right now from many disparate factors, just as the music industry is. Be open to alternative pathways.
What are your plans for the future?
I’d like to explore my creative side in more depth. I still have a lot of music to create and stories to get out of my head!
