Spikes Excitement Talks

What does it take to build a marketing career, create lasting impact, and stay curious in a world transformed by AI?  In this episode, Gordon talks to Vincent Sieben , Head of Marketing, International Region, Healthcare Informatics at Philips , about purpose-driven marketing, career growth, sustaining ideas, and the opportunities AI is creating in healthcare. Vincent shares the unconventional star...

What can a decade at Amazon teach you about building a sports brand for the next ten years?  In this episode, Gordon talks to Patrick Müller , Chief Digital Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Decathlon Germany & Founder of Primatheltics, about leadership, e-commerce, brand building, and why he believes Decathlon has a “no-brainer winning story” ahead. Patrick shares the unexpected start to...

What happens when 20 years of media fragmentation meets AI?  In this episode, Gordon sits down with Peter Grant , Interim Media Director at Boots , who reflects on his journey from asking customers at Woolworths why they bought what they bought to navigating the rapidly changing world of AI, agentic search and media. He argues that AI’s greatest opportunity may not be creating something entirely n...

What happens when a career that starts with chemical engineering takes an unexpected turn into finance, sports, beauty, digital transformation and leadership? In this episode, Gordon speaks with Jessika Link , Marketing Executive & former Head of Marketing and Digital Channel Germany at Avon , who shares her journey that took her from studying chemical and biological engineering to joining PUM...

In this episode, Gordon hosts Jim Real, Founder & Chief Creative Officer at Jim Real Creative, Real Thinking Consultancy . After shaping creative work for Disney , Pixar , Marvel , Lucasfilm and Disney Parks around the world, Jim has embarked on a new journey: helping organizations harness the power of storytelling to solve real business challenges and create lasting emotional connections. Dur...

In this episode, Gordon sits down with Vasu Read , European Marketing Communication Lead at Nestlé , who has worked with some of the world's best-known brands like Nescafé , KitKat and Maggi to Starbucks and Nespresso . Vasu shares her journey into marketing, reflects on leading purpose-driven initiatives such as Nespresso's recycling programme and discusses why today's marketing landscape, despit...

In this episode, Gordon hosts Julian Probst , who after nearly 15 years at P&G made the leap to financial services as CMO of BNP Paribas Personal Investors Germany .  He shares why there are no boring categories, only undiscovered human insights, and how the principles of world-class brand building apply just as much to finance as they do to consumer goods. Julian also discusses the role of me...

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Christina Müller , Head of Marketing DACH at Haleon , who reflects on a career spanning Unilever, Kraft Heinz and award-winning campaigns that challenged convention, most notably the viral red cabbage pizza campaign for Kühne. She shares why marketers need to embrace risk, how to build brands that become part of culture, and why AI is making creativity more impo...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler talks with Vera Cvetkovic , Head of Marketing Business Operations & Analytics at Canada Post . With a career spanning engineering, marketing technology, global consulting, and enterprise transformation, Vera shares how she navigated decades of technological change from the early days of email marketing and Google's acquisition of DoubleClick to leading AI adopti...

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Heana Thakur , Head of Marketing for Argos Marketplace at Sainsbury's. Heana shares her unconventional career journey from discovering her passion for data-driven marketing in agency life to leading one of Sainsbury's largest transformation projects. Together, they explore career-defining decisions, the importance of great managers and company culture, what make...

What remains constant when brands, technology, and leadership are changing faster than ever? In this episode, Alessandro Panella speaks with Khanh Huynh-Kürzinger, author of the forthcoming book "Leading with Humanity". She reflects on a career spanning P&G, BSH and Siemens, where she led global brand transformations before embarking on a new journey as an author. She shares why the fundamenta...

What does it take to build an iconic brand in a market where it's still just getting started?  In this episode, Gordon is joined by Derek Zoeger, Head of Customer Marketing, Continental Europe at The Hershey Company . He shares his journey from Peru to Germany, why a career in sales changed his perspective forever and what it's like to combine the agility of a startup with the backing of one of th...

What does it take to stay ahead when technology reshapes marketing every day?  In this episode, Gordon hosts Inez Fun, Global Digital Director for Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever . She shares why the ability to learn and unlearn has defined her career, from agencies and Yahoo to leading global AI transformation. Furthermore she discusses building AI-powered marketing at scale, simplifying compl...

In this episode, Gordon hosts Prashant SUkhwani, former VP Marketing at Burger King and now leading the next chapter of his career as Managing Partner, Publicis Digital Experience (PDX), at Publicis Groupe. From selling products in remote villages across India to leading marketing for Burger King India, Prashant has built his career by understanding people, culture and what truly captures attentio...

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Steve Greig, SVP Marketing, Communications & PR at Redwood Credit Union. He has built brands across beer, payments, fintech and financial services, from Heineken and Visa to Redwood Credit Union. Steve reflects on navigating career pivots, building global marketing programs, finding great mentors and why AI is making creativity more valuable, not less. Tune...

In this episode, Gordon is joined by Jim Cervantes, VP Marketing, Crunch, 100G, Raisinets at Ferrero USA, who shares his journey from selling candy at school in Mexico to leading iconic confectionery brands at Ferrero USA. He talks about building brands through curiosity, balancing creativity with commercial discipline, why Ferrero's brand-first culture stands out, and how AI can become a crea...

In this epsiode, Gordon speaks with Andrea Zappolini , Marketing Director, Digital and Commerce Activation at Puma . From childhood inspiration in Italian advertising to leading digital marketing at Puma, Andrea shares the career decisions, mentors and moments that shaped his journey through Nike, Zalando, Adidas, and beyond. The conversation explores sports, e-commerce, AI and why, despite rapid...

In this episode, Gordon is joined by Dirk Schuelgen , Managing Director Marketing International at ALDI Nord . From helping build Electronic Arts during the gaming boom to leading marketing at Nike and ALDI Nord, Dirk has spent his career embracing new industries, new challenges and new perspectives. He shares why growth comes from stepping into the unknown, why customer obsession beats assumption...

In this episode, Gordon welcomes Paolo Narag , Global Brand Director Sheba at Mars , who shares why the future of marketing won't belong to those with the most data, but to those who understand people best. At just 29, Paolo Narag has already built an impressive career, leading global brands at both Procter & Gamble and Mars. From the importance of mentors and courageous career decisions t...

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Fabio Kadow, Global Media Director at Puma. Fabio shares his journey from journalism and Vogue Brazil to leading global media strategy for one of the world's most recognized sports brands. The conversation explores the challenge of aligning global campaigns across more than 30 markets, building influence without command-and-control structures and why sports...

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Olaf Geuer, Group Head of Brand at Swisscom. With a career spanning the BBC, Channel 4, digital innovation, academia and more than 16 years at one of Europe's most respected telecom brands, Olaf brings a unique perspective on the intersection of trust, technology and creativity. The conversation explores how brands can embrace AI without losing authenticity,...

In this episode Gordon sits down with Jakob Edman, Head of Brand at WASA, part of the Barilla Group. From producing shows at MTV to shaping global brands at Red Bull, agencies and now WASA, Jakob shares a refreshingly honest view on career twists, creativity and modern marketing. They discuss why storytelling remains at the heart of great brands, what it takes to make a 100-year-old crispbread bra...

What do Japan, customer centricity, aviation, food innovation and AI have in common? In this episode, Gordon sits down with Catherine Beriere, Head of Insight broad experience from Billion dollar brands to digital first scale-ups and currently Global Insight Lead for Animal and Pet at ADM, to discuss a career built on curiosity, cultural bridges and human-centric growth. From uncovering unmet cons...

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Dominic Grounsell, Chief Revenue Officer at the UK Post Office, about a career shaped by transformation, curiosity and a relentless focus on impact. From starting out at Unilever, where he learned the foundations of brand marketing, to building data-driven growth models at BT and Capital One, Dominic shares how each industry shift sharpened his understanding of...

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Julian Sauer, Head of Marketing at Puma Group about his journey from sports journalism into global sports marketing. He shares how a deep passion for sport, especially basketball, shaped his early path into storytelling and ultimately led him from journalism into communications and marketing roles at Audi, Red Bull and Puma. The discussion explores his experienc...