Fearless Creative Leadership

This episode is being published on Christmas Eve, which is my favorite day of the year.  Growing up, the anticipation of everything that was to come filled me with wonder and possibility. The month long build up of advent calendars being opened, trees being bought and houses being decorated, cards arriving, then food, then grandparents. The chill in the air, and the hope for snow that stays with m...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. This episode is being published on Christmas Eve, which is my favorite day of the year.  Growing up, the anticipation of everything that was to come filled me with wonder and possibility. The month long build up of advent calendars being opened, trees being bought and houses being decorated, cards arriving, then food, then grandparents. The chill in the...

Judy Jackson is the Global Head of Culture at  WPP which makes her responsible for providing the vision and strategy for building a culture that embraces 100,000 people. There's no one size fits all approach that satisfies that brief. It's a role that requires a three dimensional view of human beings.  Leaders aren't particularly fond of displaying their weaknesses and vulnerabilities. After all,...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Judy Jackson is the Global Head of Culture at  WPP which makes her responsible for providing the vision and strategy for building a culture that embraces 100,000 people. There's no one size fits all approach that satisfies that brief. It's a role that requires a three dimensional view of human beings.  Leaders aren't particularly fond of displaying their...

Raja Rajamannar is the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for  Mastercard  and is also President of the company's healthcare business. His list of accomplishments is long and significant. He was recognized as the Global Marketer of the Year by the World Federation of Advertisers, was named one of the Top 5 "World's Most Influential CMOs" by Forbes, and one of the Top 10 "World's Most Innovat...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Raja Rajamannar is the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for  Mastercard  and is also President of the company's healthcare business. His list of accomplishments is long and significant. He was recognized as the Global Marketer of the Year by the World Federation of Advertisers, was named one of the Top 5 "World's Most Influential CMOs" by Forbes,...

Chris Hirst is the Global CEO of  Havas Creative - they describe themselves as the world's most integrated advertising and communications business. He's also the author of an award winning book, No Bullsh*t Leadership . Which means he's given a lot of thought to the art of leading a creative business. So much has been written and said about leadership. Libraries full of thinking and advice. Strate...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Chris Hirst is the Global CEO of  Havas Creative - they describe themselves as the world's most integrated advertising and communications business. He's also the author of an award winning book, No Bullsh*t Leadership . Which means he's given a lot of thought to the art of leading a creative business. So much has been written and said about leadership. L...

Jill Kelly is the Global CMO of GroupM , the world's largest media investment company. The journey that brought her to this powerful position has been complicated and has forced her to confront threats both real and imagined. It has been said that if you stand in a group of randomly selected people and ask everyone to place their fears in the center of that circle, most of us would choose to take...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Jill Kelly is the Global CMO of GroupM , the world's largest media investment company. The journey that brought her to this powerful position has been complicated and has forced her to confront threats both real and imagined. It has been said that if you stand in a group of randomly selected people and ask everyone to place their fears in the center of t...

Deirdre Findlay is the Global CMO of Condé Nast . In that position, she's responsible for all of the company's consumer-driven revenue. She took the job in January of 2020, and faced by an industry in transition and a world in chaos, has dramatically grown the company's subscriber base, as well as the affiliate and commerce revenue. More than that, the company has held onto its new-found audiences...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Deirdre Findlay is the Global CMO of Condé Nast . In that position, she's responsible for all of the company's consumer-driven revenue. She took the job in January of 2020, and faced by an industry in transition and a world in chaos, has dramatically grown the company's subscriber base, as well as the affiliate and commerce revenue. More than that, the c...

Umber Ahmad is the Founder of the rapidly growing bakery, Mah Ze Dahr . Her journey from banker to baker has been told before by everyone from Martha Stewart to BuzzFeed to TIME Magazine. Umber was a guest in the early days of this podcast in June of 2017. Over the last few years, I've come to know Umber well and in full disclosure I've worked with her both formally and informally as she launched...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Umber Ahmad is the Founder of the rapidly growing bakery, Mah Ze Dahr . Her journey from banker to baker has been told before by everyone from Martha Stewart to BuzzFeed to TIME Magazine. Umber was a guest in the early days of this podcast in June of 2017. Over the last few years, I've come to know Umber well and in full disclosure I've worked with her b...

This week, I'm going to talk about one of the driving forces affecting modern creative leadership. Vulnerability. And the journey that some of the world's most creative and innovative leaders are taking to bring all of themselves to their roles.

Jan Jacobs and Leo Premutico are the Founders of Johannes Leonardo . They describe themselves as a creative and effectiveness agency who exist to create a world of courageous brands. However you define the company, they've demonstrated exceptional courage and produced relentless creativity for 14 years. Their starting point for both comes not from leaning in but stepping back. In years to come, hi...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Jan Jacobs and Leo Premutico are the Founders of Johannes Leonardo . They describe themselves as a creative and effectiveness agency who exist to create a world of courageous brands. However you define the company, they've demonstrated exceptional courage and produced relentless creativity for 14 years. Their starting point for both comes not from leanin...

President Emma Armstrong, co-CCO's Gabriel Schmitt and Michael Aimette, and their Chief Strategy Officer, Todd Sussman, are the leadership team of FCB New York. This summer, the Cannes Lions named FCB The Network of the Year. The agency's journey over the last eight years has seen it transformed from a company that most people didn't care about to one that now stands as a reference point for how t...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. President Emma Armstrong, co-CCO's Gabriel Schmitt and Michael Aimette, and their Chief Strategy Officer, Todd Sussman, are the leadership team of FCB New York. This summer, the Cannes Lions named FCB The Network of the Year. The agency's journey over the last eight years has seen it transformed from a company that most people didn't care about to one th...

Gail Gallie is the Co-Founder of Project Everyone where she works alongside the writer and director, Richard Curtis. Project Everyone is a not-for-profit communications agency that creates campaigns and supports partners to raise awareness, inspire action and drive accountability for the Global Goals of the United Nations. Their mission is to accelerate progress towards a fairer world by 2030, whe...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Gail Gallie is the Co-Founder of  Project Everyone where she works alongside the writer and director, Richard Curtis. Project Everyone is a not-for-profit communications agency that creates campaigns and supports partners to raise awareness, inspire action and drive accountability for the Global Goals of the United Nations. Their mission is to accelerate...

Keesha Jean-Baptiste is the Senior Vice President, Chief Talent Officer at Hearst Magazines . During her career, she's also been the Senior Vice President of Talent, Engagement and Inclusion at the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) and the Director of Talent and Human Resources at Wieden and Kennedy. Keesha is brilliant. She is brave. And she is black. And all three of those attr...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Keesha Jean-Baptiste is the Senior Vice President, Chief Talent Officer at  Hearst Magazines . During her career, she's also been the Senior Vice President of Talent, Engagement and Inclusion at the American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's) and the Director of Talent and Human Resources at Wieden and Kennedy. Keesha is brilliant. She is brave....

Julia Goldin is the Global Chief Product & Marketing Officer at  The LEGO Group . How do you lead a business that depends on play? How do you deliver results today and build for tomorrow? How do you find yourself when your whole company is watching? And how do you build a team that dreams of possibility when the whole world is craving certainty? Leadership is a lot about pushing the boundaries. An...

Edited highlights of our full conversation. Julia Goldin is the Global Chief Product & Marketing Officer at  The LEGO Group . How do you lead a business that depends on play? How do you deliver results today and build for tomorrow? How do you find yourself when your whole company is watching? And how do you build a team that dreams of possibility when the whole world is craving certainty? Leadersh...