Spikes Excitement Talks

In this episode, Dave Cobban speaks with Sierra Thomas, Head of Brand Innovation at Crocs. Starting with a background in fine arts and art history, Sierra found her path into marketing just as social media was emerging as a powerful business tool. She shares how creativity, curiosity, and agile thinking shape modern brand building—from rapid-response marketing to culturally relevant campaigns. The...

In this episode, Gordon talks with Nikita Kucheryavy, Digital Activation Head at Mars Petcare, about his journey from professional ballroom dancer to a decade-long career at Mars. Nikita shares how the company’s culture and values shaped his path, what it means to work at the intersection of retail media, marketing, and e-commerce, and why embracing change—especially in the age of AI—is essential...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler speaks with Anja Spielmann , VP Global Brand Strategy & Growth at Mars’ Royal Canin, about building brands with long-term thinking. From starting as a marketing assistant at Ferrero to leading global brand transformations at Mars, Anja shares lessons on courage, leadership, and why choosing the right manager matters more than choosing the right job. They explore...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler speaks with Robyn Parks , Vice President and National Head of Marketing Strategy & Growth at Verizon. Robyn shares the unconventional path that took her from engineering studies to HR, and eventually into marketing leadership—building a two-decade career inside one company. She talks about the power of mentorship, why breadth of experience early in a career can...

In this episode, Gordon hosts Per Christiansen, Consultant - Brand, Marketing & Media at Advisory. From agency strategist to global marketing leader at KAYAK, Per shares what it really takes to scale travel brands at speed. He walks us through the high-stakes growth journey of Momondo — scaling fast, entering new markets in weeks and treating marketing like an investment portfolio, not an ad d...

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Omer Waysman, VP Marketing B2C North America at Michelin, who shares a powerful journey across industries — from Microsoft to Danone — and across continents, from Paris to the American South. What unfolds is more than a marketing career. It’s a masterclass in resilience, brand building, and servant leadership. Omer opens up about failing spectacularly during a l...

In this episode, Gordon sits down with Alex Nicholson, Senior Director of Digital Strategy at AstraZeneca, whose career spans from record stores and underground event promotion to leading social media transformation at USA TODAY and working with iconic brands like National Geographic. A true early pioneer of social media (full-time since 2007), Alex reflects on riding the first wave of digital dis...

In this episode, Gordon sits down with Katie Fernands, former Marketing Director at Prudential Financial and former VP Growth Marketing Manager at U.S. Bank, to explore the deeply human side of money. From personal loss and becoming a primary caregiver to shaping ultra-high-net-worth strategies, Katie shares how her lived experiences transformed her understanding of financial stability. She reveal...

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Bhavna Satyanarayan, Head of Corporate Brand Strategy & Positioning at BASF. From agency life to global leadership roles across India, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, Bhavna shares how storytelling, strong mentorship and bold career moves shaped her journey — including returning to BASF after exploring new paths at Volvo Buses. They discuss aligning brand with b...

In this episode, Sandra speaks with Ginevra Adamoli-Kalbli, Director of Marketing Intelligence and Digital Analytics at Marriott International. From academia and early social media research to agency life at Epsilon and global hospitality, Ginevra shares how her love of culture, diversity, and understanding people shaped a non-linear and powerful career in analytics. They explore the evolution of...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler speaks with Mareike Bell, CSR & Sustainability Director for L’Oréal Consumer Products Division in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Mareike reflects on her 18-year journey in the beauty industry—from category management at Henkel to leadership roles at L’Oréal—and shares how sustainability, refills and cultural change have become her personal mission.  Tune in f...

In this episode Gordon hosts Therese Bork, Director Marketing, Head of Brand and Partnerships, Nordics & Baltics for Visa.  She shares an honest story about ambition, joy and choosing a career path that feels right—even when it doesn’t look linear on paper. From fashion and design to the Stockholm School of Economics, from Mondelez to Amazon, and now leading branded partnerships for Visa acros...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Michelle van der Veen, Global Direct-to-Consumer Lead for Specialized Nutrition at Danone. Michelle shares her unconventional journey from art history and museums into global digital commerce, how COVID fast-tracked Danone’s DTC ambitions and why DTC is less about selling more—and more about serving better.  The conversation explores personalization,...

In this epsiode, Gordon speaks with Lea Drusio, Marketing Director at Nespresso Germany. She shares her non-linear journey from startups and agencies to global brands. From learning performance marketing in the early Rocket Internet days to leading highly emotional categories like pet care and coffee, Lea reflects on trust-based leadership, the courage to say no, and why corporate environments can...

*german episode* In this episode Gordon hosts Michael Lüttgen, Chief Customer Officer at Kaufland and former CMO at Biedronka for Jerónimo Martins, OBI and Lidl. From challenger mindsets and retail scale to customer insight, price reality, and leadership without ego, Michael shares why marketing is not advertising, why consistency beats copycats, and why understanding people matters more than winn...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Angeliki Kazantzidi , Head of Marketing Northern Europe at Kenvue , to talk about leadership without ego, the power of learning agility, and what it really takes to manage complex brand portfolios across cultures. With nearly two decades at Johnson & Johnson / Kenvue, Angeliki shares her unconventional career path from chemistry to marketing, why...

In this episode, Dave Cobban sits down with Guido Gennari, Executive Director Product Management at JP Morgan Chase. From Buenos Aires to New York, Dallas and now JP Morgan Chase, Guido’s career is a masterclass in embracing change. He shares how strong analytical foundations, customer obsession, and curiosity shaped his journey from KPMG to leading product management for nearly 300,000 employees...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Lucia Martinez Barrenechea, Global Strategy and Competitor Intelligence Lead for Beauty & Wellbeing Business Group at Unilever, to unpack how global FMCG giants really think and compete. From a law degree in Spain to shaping strategy across a beauty and personal care business, Lucia shares how decoding competitors, understanding organizational str...

In this episode Gordon Euchler hosts Danyal Syed Ali, Head of Consumer and Customer Insights at IKEA, to explore his journey from early startup life in Pakistan to global brands like Nestlé, the BBC, and ultimately one of the world’s most loved retailers. Danyal shares what it really takes to evolve an iconic brand in a time shaped by AI, omnichannel complexity, and changing customer expectations—...

In this episode, Gordon sits down with Natasha Maharaj, Senior Global Brands Director at The Heineken Company . With a career spanning Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo and now Heineken, Natasha shares how world-class FMCG brands are built at the intersection of creativity, culture, and commercial impact. From her belief that “marketing chose me,” to shaping iconic beer brands around human connection and...

In this episode, Dave sits down with Matt Kerbel , Global Brand Strategist and Marketing Leader at Turo . With nearly two decades of experience across challenger brands like Lyft, Call of Duty, MeUndies and now Turo, Matt shares how curiosity, empathy and human connection have shaped his career. From formative childhood experiences in multicultural Toronto to career-defining mentorship moments, Ma...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler hosts Rob Edwards , Head of Media Digital at Arla Foods , shares his journey from local press to leading brand media, reflecting on the power of creativity, personality, and storytelling in an increasingly data-driven world. He explores the role of partnerships, mergers, and integrity in shaping brands that stand out, and why connecting with people—at all levels—is...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Alexander Shmelkov , Director of Consumer & Brand Insight at IKEA , to talk about what it really takes to evolve a global brand tracker. Alex shares his journey from economic sociology and GfK to the client side, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at leading large-scale change in a values-driven, consensus-oriented organization. The conversation...

In this episode, Sandra Peat sits down with Elle McCarthy to explore a career defined by transformation. From her early days in advertising to senior leadership roles at EA and the Ford Motor Company, Elle shares how failure, curiosity, and the intersection of art and science shaped her path. Together they unpack brand as a driver of cultural and business change, the power of leading transformatio...

In this episode, Sandra Peat is joined by Richard De Villa , Marketing Director for the UK, Ireland and Nordics at Club Med . Richard shares his journey through the travel industry—from destination marketing at the Philippines Embassy to airlines, and finally to leading one of the world’s most iconic holiday brands. Together they explore the power of storytelling, what makes Club Med’s all-inclusi...