Dynamic Duos: ‘We keep each other honest’
This week in Dynamic Duos, we hear from In Marketing We Trust's chief operating officer, Selina Murray, and head of client services, Cecilia Cebada.
In Dynamic Duos, Mumbrella each week asks two colleagues with a professional and personal affiliation to share with readers the importance of workplace relationships in an increasingly hybridised world of work.
Selina Murray:
I first met Ceci during the height of the Covid pandemic — she was based in Singapore and I was (and still am) in Brisbane. Our first interaction was over a video call when she interviewed me for the head of growth role. I must have made a decent impression, as she later recommended me for the role and helped bring me into the team. That conversation laid the foundation for what has become one of my most important working relationships.
Our roles are closely connected and critical to the business. Ceci leads client services and experience, while I focus on strategy and technical delivery. Between the two of us, we cover the full spectrum of client needs — from the behind-the-scenes infrastructure to the front-facing customer experience. We work together to ensure that delivery and service are aligned, efficient and client-focused.
What’s kept our working relationship strong over the years is a high level of trust and mutual respect. We’re comfortable holding each other accountable and expect the same from our teams. There’s a shared understanding that performance and outcomes matter, and we don’t shy away from tough conversations when needed.
But it’s not just about results — we genuinely enjoy working together. Our day-to-day interactions are usually light-hearted, which helps keep things in perspective and makes collaboration easier.
It also helps that we’re both driven, confident and have a similar sense of humour. These shared traits have helped us maintain a productive partnership — we don’t always agree, but we always challenge each other constructively.
Despite working remotely for the majority of our time together, we’ve managed to build a solid professional rhythm that’s based on clear communication and a willingness to back each other. It’s why we’ve stayed in close contact even as roles and priorities evolve.
In short, our dynamic works because we bring complementary skills to the table, operate on the same wavelength and keep things grounded with a shared sense of humour.
Cecilia Cebada:
I met Selina when she first joined In Marketing We Trust in 2020. We realised early on that we are very similar. We collaborate really well together and have a very similar approach to work — diving in head first and just getting things done.
Selina and I understand one another’s strengths and weaknesses, which makes collaboration feel effortless. We can intuitively divide and conquer whatever’s on our plate each day.
We regularly share team feedback, align on priorities and agree on what needs to be done to keep things moving. We check in daily on Slack and catch up weekly in a one-on-one.
We keep each other honest by keeping each other in the loop on projects. We can both trust that deadlines will absolutely be met. Whether it’s a client ask or a team challenge, we usually come to the same conclusion about what needs to happen next independently. Our similarity even extends to having matching discomfort on quieter days, when we both feel like there’s a calm before an inevitable storm.
Our communication skills really comes into play when we have curveballs thrown at us. Having that solid foundation means I feel secure that she has my back in tough situations — just as I have hers. I love that she’s a fixer — she loves a challenge and will always find a way to fix things that to the untrained eye, were never broken (don’t tell her I said that).
I’m also grateful for the personal connection we share for giving us a place to vent and share frustrations — it reminds me I’m not alone in the madness. It feels like, together, we can figure out just about anything.
I see her as incredibly resilient — she doesn’t give up easily. She’s also genuinely funny, which makes a big difference when we’re stressed or trying to fix something that’s gone sideways. I love working with her and I would love to be able to see her more in person. We make a good team.
Selina on Cecilia:
Most memorable moment with Cecilia: In Cambodia for one of our annual Trusted Conference events, I hosted a Taskmaster party that doubled as both my birthday party and a team building activity. One task that everyone had to do was to pop five balloons that were attached to their bodies, without using their hands or sitting/laying down.
I hadn’t fully thought about the logistics of having 35 people trying to pop 175 balloons all at once in a rooftop hotel restaurant but I proceeded anyway. The moment the buzzer went off, I witnessed Ceci run at the glass floor-to-ceiling windows and smash her body against it, in order to pop the balloons. What she evidently had chosen to ignore was the fact that she was on the 13th floor with nothing outside that glass, except a very steep drop to the ground, if it was to give way.
Despite her commitment to the cause, she did not win.
Best word to describe her: Determined.
Most annoying habit or endearing behaviour she has: Ceci is like a mumma bear to her team — she is protective of them, she will back them and she continuously pushes them to professionally grow.
Cecilia on Selina:
Most memorable moment with Selina: Since we all work remotely, and meet once a year at our Trusted Conference event, my most memorable moment was when I finally met Selina in Bali. It felt a bit like online dating — you’ve worked with someone virtually for so long and then suddenly, you meet face-to-face and it hits you: they’re real!
Best word to describe her: Reliable.
Most annoying habit or endearing behaviour she has: She has Red Bull for breakfast and somehow still manages to look super relaxed all the time.
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Lauren McNamara was the associate editor at Mumbrella. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS. She left Mumbrella in August 2025.
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