Spikes Excitement Talks

In this episode, Gordon is joined by Patrick Swientek, Director of Integrated Brand & Communication at Danone for Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia. With a career spanning digital marketing, live entertainment, Nestlé and now Danone, Patrick brings a deep and practical perspective on how modern brands can create value beyond the campaign. They dive into what demand generation really m...

In this episode,  Spikes US Partner Dave Cobban sits down with Peter DeLuca, former Chief Creative Officer at T-Mobile & Board Member (CMCI) at University of Colorado Boulder, for an energetic and insightful conversation spanning creativity, leadership and brand transformation. From his early days pounding the pavement in New York’s ad scene to helping shape T-Mobile into a bold, customer-cent...

In this episode, Gordon sits down with Nathalie Frank Castellanos, former Global Head of Marketing for Whisky Brands at Diageo, to explore her remarkable 15-year journey through branding, innovation and multicultural leadership. Born in Brazil to Uruguayan parents, now based in Amsterdam, Nathalie reflects on how a chance internship at Diageo sparked her passion for marketing and how that passion...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks , Gordon sits down with Sébastien Deneux, a strategic business development leader at Unilever, specializing in the ice cream category across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Sébastien shares with us his unique career journey—from consulting on Dutch flower exports to embracing a sales role at Unilever that challenged and shaped his understanding of cust...

In this episode, Gordon hosts Corina Kurscheid, Global Associate VP Growth and Impact at Nivea – the iconic “big blue” brand that has shaped skincare worldwide.  After 18 years at Nivea, Corina shares her journey from agency life into a global marketing and product development career, diving deep into how innovation, consumer insights and culture shape one of the world’s most beloved brands. Corin...

In this episode of Excitement Talks , Spikes US Partner Dave Cobban sits down with Ian Bertrand, former VP of Commercial Marketing at Canada Goose and longtime Nike marketing leader for a powerful conversation about evolving brand strategy, the future of retail and building deep consumer connection through experience. From his early days in Nike retail to major global roles in running, retail expe...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks , Gordon Euchler is joined by Namita Mediratta , Global Head of Insights for Deodorants at Unilever , whose career spans decades across India, Indonesia, Singapore and London, covering iconic brands like Dove and Magnum. Namita shares how a background in engineering unexpectedly led her to fall in love with the "cerebral side of marketing"—the art and sci...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Dipesh Patel , Chief Digital Officer for Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever Europe, Middle East, Turkey, Australia & New Zealand. From his early days as a math graduate aiming for a career in banking to navigating management consulting and finally landing in the world of FMCG, Dipesh shares an honest and insightful look at how career paths are rar...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler welcomes Lucas Levy, Senior Director of Marketing Southeast Asia at Mondelez International. Lucas shares his remarkable career journey — from flipping burgers at McDonald's in Argentina, through a nearly two-decade rise at Unilever, to now shaping the future of iconic snacking brands at Mondelez in Singapore. Along the way he became a seasoned marketer with expe...

In this special episode, Gordon is joined by one of India’s most respected marketing leaders, Shubhranshu Singh , Chief Marketing Officer at Tata Motors Commercial Vehicles and recognized among Forbes' Top 50 CMOs . Together, they explore the unique dynamics of the Indian market , from its rapid digital transformation and explosive growth in e-commerce to the deep cultural nuances that shape c...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks , Gordon Euchler sits down with Erik Liebe, Head of Global Digital Commerce for Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever. Erik shares his unique perspective on what it means to build a long, fulfilling career within a single company and why that choice has paid off. From consumer research in people’s homes to shaping social commerce strategies on platforms like...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Tommaso Calzolari, Head of Global Brand Marketing for Motorsports at Adidas, for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of modern marketing, the role of social media and the challenges brands face in creating meaningful connections. They explore what it’s like to build an entire category from the ground up inside one of the world’s most iconic br...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks , Gordon sits down with Efrain Rosario, Global Head of Retail Marketing and Insights at Diageo. They explore how brands can show up brilliantly at the "moment of choice," why emotional engagement is scientifically critical in retail and how occasion-based insights shape consumer behavior. He also reflects on career-shaping lessons from his time...

In this episode, Gordon sits down with Daniele Tundo, Global Digital Content Lead at Nestlé, whose marketing journey spans some of the world’s most iconic companies, including AB InBev, Procter & Gamble and Vodafone. Daniele shares how curiosity and a passion for cultural exploration have shaped his career, from launching beauty products in the Middle East to creating beer campaigns across Eur...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks , Gordon sits down with Jon Halvorson, Global SVP of Consumer Experience at Mondelēz International. Jon shares his unique journey across the global marketing landscape, from shaping video strategies at Twitter to driving media transformation at General Motors and now leading global centers of excellence at Mondelēz, spanning media, digital, creative partn...

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Janina Jahns, Brands & Culture Director for Latin America and the Caribbean at Diageo, to explore her dynamic journey from studying Middle Eastern Studies and dreaming of a diplomatic career to leading groundbreaking cultural partnerships at one of the world’s biggest beverage companies. Janina shares behind-the-scenes stories about the fast-paced...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks , Gordon welcomes a true legend in the world of insights and innovation: Stan Sthanunathan . Formerly EVP of Consumer and Market Insights at Unilever and Coca-Cola, Stan is now the founder of i-Genie .ai , a company revolutionizing the research industry. This conversation dives deep into Stan’s provocative approach to AI-powered, survey-free research. Fro...

In this episode gordon sits down with Lisa Novak , Head of Digital Media and Customer Engagement at McDonald’s Österreich , whose career spans iconic marketing institutions from Innocent to Unilever , Mondelez , and now the golden arches. Lisa shares how she and her team craft McDonald’s Österreich digital customer experience from app activations and loyalty programs to Happy Meals and nail polish...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks, Gordon welcomes Serge Raffard, Managing Director of Personal Lines at Allianz UK. With a remarkable global journey that spans strategy, finance and marketing, Serge brings deep insights from his leadership roles at McKinsey, MetLife and at Allianz Group. They talk about his career path from engineering and corporate finance into the world of marketing an...

In this episode, Gordon sits sit down with Joseph Delhommer , Head of the U.S. CPG Brand Innovation Lab at Amazon , for a conversation that spans continents, creative disciplines, and career philosophies. From his early beginnings in the Dominican Republic's ad scene to leading brand innovation at one of the world’s most influential companies, Joseph shares how art direction, hard work and a r...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks , Gordon sits down with Jesse Unger, Co-founder of Significant and former strategist at some of the most iconic creative agencies in the world: Energy BBDO, TBWA\Chiat\Day, and Mother. Jesse shares her nonlinear path to strategy — from ghostwriting for a lawyer and designing Facebook apps to founding an influence lab and eventually launching her own compa...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talk, Gordon sits down with Jordan Liebman. Jordan is a powerhouse in marketing with a career that spans top creative agencies like Publicis, BBDO, and McGarryBowen, and executive leadership roles at Verizon and Konica Minolta. He’s also the voice behind a viral LinkedIn post about the New York Knicks that sparked our connection. During the talk Jordan shares h...

In this energizing episode, Gordon sits down with Shipra Bhatt , whose career has taken her from uncovering deep human truths at Quantum Consumer Solutions to spearheading marketing innovation for KFC (India).  What happens when a passionate consumer researcher crosses over to the brand side? Shipra shares her journey from interpreting trends to actually shaping them—moving from insight to executi...

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks, Gordon sits down with Anja Urlichs, former Senior Director of SMB Marketing for International Markets at PayPal, to explore her two-decade journey through fintech, strategy, and brand transformation. From a grounding in classical banking and strategy consulting to finding her spark at a mobile payments startup, Anja’s story is one of intentional pivots,...

In this episode, Gordon sits down with Daniel Ryback , Senior Global Innovation Lead for Customer Experience at McDonald’s , to explore how one of the world’s most iconic brands approaches innovation at scale. Daniel walks us through the three core pillars of his work: building a global innovation framework, tackling high-value customer challenges across markets, and enabling innovation through in...