The Ad Podcast

Dan Fernandez is the Vice President of Digital Marketing and Strategy at Concord Hospitality Enterprises, a leading U.S. hotel management and development company. He's a recognized leader in digital marketing, branding, and hospitality strategy with over 15 years of experience in luxury and lifestyle segments. He has led high-performing teams at top agencies and shaped digital strategies for i...

Tara Oporto (also known as Tara Oporto) is the Founder & CEO of Enchantra, Inc., a New York City-based modern brand house (C-Corp) focused on creating innovative lifestyle and wellness brands. A longtime marketing leader and mom of five, she founded Temperates ( temperates.com ) in 2025—an intentional non-alcoholic beverage brand and lifestyle platform exploring the "new culture of drinki...

James Nord is the Founder & CEO of Fohr ( fohr.co ), the first influencer/ambassador marketing agency and platform in the U.S., launched in 2012 in New York City. A true pioneer in the creator economy, he transitioned from Wall Street finance to fashion photography (shooting behind-the-scenes for Oscar de la Renta and Thom Browne, Inc. ) after gaining massive fame as one of Tumblr 's most-...

Evin Shutt is a visionary leader in the advertising industry, serving as Global CEO and Partner at 72andSunny, a globally acclaimed creative agency (part of MDC Partners/Stagwell) known for cultural impact campaigns (e.g., redefining music distribution with Samsung/Jay-Z, elevating the NFL as the most valuable pro sports league, United Airlines' "biggest and best" seat innovations, T...

John Carstens is the Chief Creative Officer at Team DDB (Omnicom), leading creative efforts for the US Army account—a massive, multidisciplinary consortium of 11+ agencies. A seasoned writer, strategist, and creative leader, he specializes in building and managing large teams to deliver innovative storytelling across brand categories. His career includes roles at SapientNitro (where he led digital...

Allison Arling-Giorgi is the Head of Brand at Method1, a Chicago-based advertising and strategy agency focused on behavioral science-driven marketing. She's a seasoned brand strategist and behavioral-science expert with deep experience in consumer insights, particularly for Millennials and Gen Z. She harnesses human behavior research to build memorable brands, craft high-impact campaigns, and...

Nick Miaritis is a prominent advertising and marketing executive, serving as Global Chief Client Officer at VaynerMedia (a leading creative and media agency under VaynerX), based in New York. He joined in 2018 and leads brand partnerships, accelerates client growth, builds new agency capabilities, and oversees high-profile campaigns (e.g., Super Bowl work for clients like WK Kellogg Co).Prior to V...

Jake Kitchiner is a UK-based entrepreneur and Co-Founder of ChannelCrawler ( channelcrawler.com ), a powerful YouTube influencer discovery and database tool. Launched after he identified a gap in existing solutions while working on prior ventures, the platform allows users to search and filter YouTube channels using 40+ criteria—including category, subscriber size, location, engagement metrics, an...

Steve Katelman is a veteran advertising and digital media executive with nearly three decades of experience in strategic partnerships, media innovation, and growth for major agencies and tech platforms. He currently serves as Chief Partnership Officer at Fyllo (a compliance-first SaaS platform for regulated industries like cannabis, sports betting, and alcohol), where he oversees partnerships acro...

Brian Gross is the President of Bach to Rock (often called "America's Music School"), a leading national franchise of contemporary music schools offering private and group lessons in guitar, piano, drums, voice, bass, and more for students of all ages and skill levels. He has held this role since 2011, after serving as Vice President of Marketing and Operations starting in 2008.Bach...

Bill Lea is the Vice President of Media at rEvolution (often stylized as Revolution), a global integrated sports marketing agency headquartered in Chicago. With over 18 years in media planning and buying, he's a strategic, analytics-driven leader specializing in digital, sponsorship, and performance media for sports and entertainment brands. He's led media strategies for clients like Betfr...

Lisa Giacosa is a senior executive in the global media and advertising industry, currently serving as Chief Investment Officer at Spark Foundry, a leading global media agency within Publicis Media (part of Publicis Groupe). She also holds roles as US and Global Chief Transformation Officer and Global Client Lead, focusing on driving business transformation through data, technology, commerce, AI, a...

Isha Patel is the co-founder and CEO of Kale ( kalecard.com ), a New York-based startup platform that lets everyday social media users (superfans, not just big influencers) earn cash rewards for sharing authentic content about brands they love—like Rare Beauty , Glossier, Inc. , sweetgreen , and Chili's .She previously worked at LinkedIn (where she met co-founder Luis Molina ), graduated from...

Lou Paskalis is a veteran advertising and marketing executive with over three decades of experience in digital transformation, media strategy, data governance, brand safety, and media accountability. He is the Founder and CEO of AJL Advisory LLC, a strategic marketing consultancy that helps senior marketers refine their narratives and assists ad tech companies in better understanding marketer need...

Lindsey Carnett is an accomplished entrepreneur, marketing executive, and public relations expert. She is the Founder, CEO, and President of Marketing Maven, an integrated marketing and PR agency she established in 2009, specializing in helping businesses grow through strategic communications, digital marketing, and reputation management. A graduate of California Lutheran University with a B.A. in...

Dustin Black is the Executive Creative Director at Preston Spire, where he leads the agency’s award-winning creative team with curiosity and bold thinking. With over 25 years of experience in the advertising industry, he’s worked at top agencies including BBDO Worldwide, Colle McVoy, MONO, and Carmichael Lynch, crafting standout work for brands like Perdue Farms, Frank’s RedHot, Craftsman, Subaru...

Robb Hittner is a Co-Founder of Hackett Brooks, a creative agency built around using comedy and humor as a strategic driver in advertising and workplace culture. Steve Mallory is a Co-Founder of Hackett Brooks, where he brings creative and storytelling expertise to the agency’s mission of making advertising fun and culturally relevant. Alongside Robb Hittner and others, he helps lead creative stra...

Michael Ellery is the Chief Creative Officer at Sparks , a creative agency known for experiential design and large-scale event marketing. With more than two decades of experience in creative strategy and execution, Michael leads creative direction and innovation, helping brands deliver immersive, memorable experiences across events, environments, and integrated campaigns. His background includes s...

Cliff Kim is a senior leader at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation , currently serving as Vice President of Growth Strategy, Digital Products and President of Fender Play , the company’s digital learning platform. At Fender, he leads efforts to grow both physical and digital business through data-driven insights, conversion optimization, and consumer research , helping evolve how players disco...

Roy Sexton is the Chief Marketing Officer at Vedder , where he leads the firm’s overall marketing strategy, brand positioning, and business development initiatives across the legal sector. With more than 25 years of experience in marketing and strategic communications—including nearly 15 years focused in legal marketing—Roy has shaped campaigns, digital outreach, and organizational storytelling th...

Gigi Harville is an entrepreneur, talent manager, and CEO of The Paul Harville Group , a Los Angeles–based management and consulting company focused on music artists and social media creators. With over 25 years in the music and creator space, she helps talent develop their brands, build careers, and navigate digital strategy. Harville’s work has earned media recognition and industry nominations —...

Marcus Chan is the founder and CEO of Venli Consulting Group and the creator of Real B2B Sales Training, where he helps B2B sales teams drive predictable revenue through modern, buyer-centric selling. A former enterprise sales leader, Marcus is known for his practical, no-fluff approach to sales execution, coaching teams on pipeline strategy, deal acceleration, and closing complex enterprise accou...

Joy Farber Kolo is the Global Chief Brand Officer at Weber Shandwick , a leading global communications and integrated marketing firm. With more than 28 years at the agency, she has held senior leadership roles—guiding strategy, client relationships, and award-winning work that spans earned media, brand building, and integrated communications. Joy’s career reflects deep expertise in developing insi...

Dan Gilbert is the co-founder and CEO of Brainlabs, a global performance marketing agency known for its data-driven approach and rapid growth. Since founding Brainlabs in the UK, Dan has helped scale the company into an international organization by blending rigorous experimentation, technology, and a strong people-first culture. He’s widely recognized for pushing transparency, testing, and measur...

Celia Jones, JD is a seasoned marketing and brand strategist currently serving as Global Chief Marketing Officer at FINN Partners, a leading integrated public relations and communications agency. With more than 20 years of experience, she has shaped the marketing and brand narratives of disruptive agencies and challenger brands, blending brand strategy, integrated communications, cultural storytel...