Creative Minds: Yahoo’s Zoe Cocker loves to watch horror movies when home alone

Name: Zoe Cocker

Origin: I’m from the UK but born in Dubai

Places lived/worked: Lived in Dubai, UK, Sydney. I’ve worked in all three

Pronouns: She/her

CV:

Head of innovation & Yahoo Creative Studios ANZ, Yahoo, Sydney, September 2021-present
Head of brand and RYOT Studio, Verizon Media, Sydney, December 2017-September 2021
Group head, Yahoo, London, June 2014-December 2017
Digital sales manager, Blinkbox, London, November 2012-May 2014
Senior executive, Walt Disney, London, June 2009-November 2012

1. How did you end up being a creative?

I was never a linear learner so I was always attracted to the arts—I studied art and drama as a teen. Plus my mum owned her own ad agency in Dubai, we are basically twins, so my fate was sealed from an early age.

2. What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

Recently I had the opportunity to bring a Web3 project to Yahoo, a huge journey of discovery in the crypto-art space. We called it ‘Future shock,’ tapping into the minds of creatives in the NFT space to articulate the technological impact on art in the digital world.

3. What's your favourite piece of work created by someone else?

There are some amazing pieces of creative work to draw inspiration from. For me I am most inspired by the theatre. The production of War Horse had a profound impact on me over 10 years ago. An incredible spectacle and demonstration of how human and technology can come together to tell immersive stories that suspend audiences' disbelief.

4. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

A few years ago I did my first ever skydive over the Fox glacier in New Zealand. I would like to say that's the craziest thing I have ever done. However, quite honestly, I think taking a two-and-a-half-year-old on a 26-hour flight from Australia to London was one of the craziest decisions I have ever made.

5. What's on your bucket list?

I have always wanted to go to Argentina and have an authentic gaucho experience. The opportunity to learn a skill, connect with nature and have the sense of freedom from all responsibility, apart from keeping cattle alive and getting them across the country appeals to every part of me.

6. What career did you think you'd have when you were a kid?

I actually wanted to be a vet, but sadly was told I was never smart enough to ‘aim that high.’ However, I was highly acclaimed in drama, so most thought I would be an actress one day.

7. What advice would you give to 10-year-old you, if you could?

Don’t focus too heavily on trying to understand where you are going and what you ‘should do or be’. Instead learn who you are and what you love or what motivates you, and do more of it!

8. What’s your favourite music / film / TV show / book / other of the past year, and why?

I recently watched Parasite, and absolutely loved it. So refreshing and brilliantly written.

9. What's your favourite GIF/meme, and why?

Memes are one of my guilty pleasures, I have a worrying obsession. I cannot narrow down any particular ones as I think I consume about 10 a day at the moment. However, I feel like any and every emotion I feel on an average working day can be accurately supported by a Schitts Creek meme. Alexis and David are my spirit animals.

10. What food can you not live without? What food would you be happy to never taste again?

Any type of curry! A great curry is the way to my heart and couldn't possibly live without. When it comes to never again—easy—anything that wobbles. Custard, jelly, you name it. Basically, trifle is my food hell.

11. What's your guilty pleasure?

Horror. I sadly don't have a horror buddy, my husband refuses to watch anything remotely scary. So when the house is quiet and I am all alone I try to find a good horror and plug in.