Best Richard Huntington Podcasts (2025)

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Saatchi & Saatchi’s former Chief Strategy Officer: A rallying cry for brilliance – Richard Huntington 39:25

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16h ago39:25

39:25

Today’s guest is Richard Huntington – former Chief Strategy Officer and Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi. He brings a rare blend of honesty, affection and sharp-edged provocation to this conversation about the agency business. Richard describes an industry that’s been commodified – caused by the “creative” agency label that stripped out the commercial…

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Cornett's CEO: Why female ownership matters – Christy Hiler 40:02

8d ago40:02

40:02

Today’s guest is Christy Hiler, owner of Cornett – the Lexington-based creative agency – and one of our industry’s leading voices for women-owned agencies. A huge advocate of empowering talent, Christy candidly shares her own unusual journey from being Cornett’s president to its owner, including the convictions that guided her forward – and the dou…

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FCB's Global CEO: Excellence as usual – Tyler Turnbull 52:19

15d ago52:19

52:19

Today’s guest is Tyler Turnbull, Global CEO of Interpublic’s FCB – remarkably, the winner of Cannes Lions’ North American Network of the Year for seven years running. Tyler shares the mindset that’s driven this sustained creative and commercial performance. He unpacks where resilience comes from, and how curiosity, experimentation and a willingness…

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Yes&'s CEO: What’s in a name? – Zihla Salinas 43:02

22d ago43:02

43:02

Today’s guest is Zihla Salinas, CEO of a 40-year-old indie that rebranded as ‘Yes&’. She shares the story behind the name, including how the improv-inspired mindset of ‘accept and build’ has become a blueprint for the business. This philosophy shapes everything from their M&A strategy and client partnerships, to leadership development and creative …

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UEG's Global CEO: Culture, entertainment and commerce – Jarrod Moses 49:00

1M ago49:00

49:00

Today’s guest is Jarrod Moses, Founder and Global CEO of United Entertainment Group (UEG) – part of Edelman. Jarrod unpacks how brands, creators, sports stars and celebrities meet in the fast-evolving world of culture and entertainment marketing. He reveals how UEG structures partnerships that go beyond timesheets and deliverables to also reward pe…

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Publicis Groupe's Global CSO: Unpacking the ‘Power of One’ – Loren Grossman 40:27

1M ago40:27

40:27

Today’s guest is Loren Grossman, Global Chief Strategy Officer of the ‘Solutions Group’ within Publicis Groupe – so he’s right at the centre of how the agency world is evolving. Loren describes a ‘golden age’ of impact, explaining how Publicis has built a future-facing model that goes far beyond marketing communications. From bold acquisitions like…

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Party Land's Co-Founder: Comedy’s greatest ad agency – Haley Hunter 42:52

2M ago42:52

42:52

Today’s guest – for our 50th episode! – is Haley Hunter, Co-Founder of Party Land – proudly known as comedy’s greatest ad agency. In this lively conversation, Haley unpacks how humour has become a strategic superpower, not just a punchline. She shares how Party Land went from convincing clients that comedy belonged in advertising to being the go-to…

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JOAN's co-founders: Building modern legends – Jaime Robinson & Lisa Clunie 37:51

2M ago37:51

37:51

In a first for the show, today we have not one but two guests – Jaime Robinson and Lisa Clunie, co-founders of the creative agency JOAN, born in NYC and now smashing it in London and Berlin too. Jaime and Lisa reveal how they’re blending the rigour of classic brand building with the pace and energy of modern culture. They share why they believe now…

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ITG’s CEO: The AI-enabled creative renaissance – Andrew Swinand 36:05

2M ago36:05

36:05

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Worldwide Partners' President & CEO: A balanced take on indies vs HoldCo.s – John Harris 38:10

2M ago38:10

38:10

Today’s guest is John Harris, President & CEO of Worldwide Partners Inc. With nearly a decade leading the world’s most collaborative network of independent agencies – and a prior career inside holding companies – he brings a rare balance to one of the industry’s most polarised debates. John explains indies’ undoubted ‘moment’, but also recognises t…

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BBH’s CEO: Bringing contagious positivity - Karen Martin 42:04

3M ago42:04

42:04

Today’s guest is the incomparable Karen Martin, CEO of BBH London and Dublin, and President of the IPA. Known for her infectious optimism, Karen brings a fresh perspective to how agencies can thrive in uncertain times. For her, positivity is more than just a nice-to-have – it’s a business imperative that lifts entire industries. Karen also argues t…

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AnalogFolk Group's Global CEO: Evolving the business of creativity – Guy Wieynk 39:43

3M ago39:43

39:43

Today’s guest is Guy Wieynk, Global CEO of AnalogFolk Group. This conversation is a masterclass in the business of creativity. With 17 years at AKQA, followed by a European CEO at Publicis, Guy knows how to blend scale with agility. He unpacks the shift from big ideas to ‘open ideas’, and why connecting brands to culture isn’t optional but essentia…

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Dept's CEO: Scaling culture at pace – Dimi Albers 45:53

3M ago45:53

45:53

Today’s guest is Dimi Albers, CEO of Dept – one of the new breed of fast-growth PE-backed agency groups. And if you think rapid scaling comes at the cost of culture, this conversation will prove you wrong. Dimi shares how Dept has grown from 120 people in the Netherlands to more than 4,000 across 20+ countries – all while maintaining a unique owner…

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FIG’s Founder: Retaining the soul of creativity – Mark Figliulo 38:41

3M ago38:41

38:41

Today’s guest is Mark Figliulo, Founder and Creative Chairman at FIG – and if you’re worried about AI’s impact on creativity, then you’ll enjoy his proactive optimism. From working with legends like Lee Clow to launching one of New York’s most respected indies, Mark’s on a mission to keep creativity relevant – not least by cutting through our indus…

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Quiet Storm's CEO: The power of ownership – Rania Robinson 33:30

4M ago33:30

33:30

Today's guest is an atypical champion of agency independence – Rania Robinson, CEO of Quiet Storm. Rania takes us behind the scenes of Quiet Storm’s 30-year journey – from selling to a larger group, buying the agency back through a Management Buyout, and then transitioning to an Employee Owned Trust. She shares what those decisions meant for their …

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Croud's CEO: Pioneering a new agency model – Luke Smith 29:57

4M ago29:57

29:57

Today's guest is Luke Smith, the founder and global CEO of Croud – the digital media agency with a pioneering crowdsourcing model. Luke shares how he left Google in 2011 with the intention of just undercutting the market. But now Croud operates in 120 markets, with 600 people and nearly 3,000 freelance ‘Croudies’, having scaled with private equity …

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IPG Mediabrands' CEO, UK and EMEA: The alchemy of modern media agencies – Richard Morris 38:18

4M ago38:18

38:18

Today’s guest is Richard Morris, CEO for UK & EMEA at IPG Mediabrands. He’s seen the industry evolve from the high-reach, low-cost media buys of the 90s to today’s data-led, tech-powered landscape. But as he explains, the real competitive advantage for your agency isn’t just about speed or efficiency – it’s about blending technology with the human …

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AKQA's CEO, The Americas: Standing up for the next generation – Tesa Aragones 32:25

4M ago32:25

32:25

Today’s guest is Tesa Aragones, AKQA’s CEO for the Americas – one of few agency CEOs who have also succeeded at the highest level on the client-side. With her background at Nike and Volkswagen, Tesa brings a uniquely empathetic view on what it takes to build stronger, more human relationships between agencies and clients – especially in today’s fas…

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LinkedIn’s VP Global Head of Agency Development and Marketer Education: The hidden goldmine of B2B – Valerie Beauchamp 39:12

5M ago39:12

39:12

Today’s guest is Valerie Beauchamp, VP Global Head of Agency Development and Marketer Education at LinkedIn. And if you’ve ever written off B2B as a less exciting part of the industry, then this episode will change your mind. Valerie spent two decades agency-side before heading to Amazon and now LinkedIn – so she knows the landscape better than mos…

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Mojo Supermarket’s President: Reinventing your passion – Armando Turco 42:22

5M ago42:22

42:22

Today’s guest is Mojo Supermarket’s President, Armando Turco – talking about reinventing his passion for agency life. After a standout career at BBH, a transformative spell at Vox Media, and a client-side role in the disruptive world of Oatly, Armando swore he’d never go back to agency life. But as you’ll hear, never say ‘never’. He shares how work…

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Co:definery’s CEO: Building a Market of One – Robin Bonn 53:01

5M ago53:01

53:01

To celebrate the launch of Robin’s book, Market of One, this special episode features a Freaky Friday-style role reversal, with IPA Director of Effectiveness Laurence Green in the interviewer’s chair and Robin answering the questions. Unpacking the exhausting ‘Big Grind’ that many leaders feel, Robin unpacks how agencies can break out of so-called …

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Strong Training & Coaching's Lead Coach & Trainer: Coaching for commercial growth – Maureen Falvey 35:37

5M ago35:37

35:37

Today’s guest is Maureen Falvey. Formerly a senior exec at Grey, Saatchis and McGarryBowen, she’s now a professional coach and trainer. Maureen explores how a coaching mindset isn’t just a personal development tool – it’s a cultural and commercial unlock for modern agencies. She dives into why coaching is all about asking, not telling, and how that…

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Metaforce's Co-Founder: Differentiating your client experience - Allen Adamson 32:38

6M ago32:38

32:38

Today's guest is the renowned author, branding expert and industry commentator Allen Adamson - co-founder of Metaforce, adjunct professor at NYU Stern School of Business, and former leader at Ogilvy and Landor. Reflecting his brand strategy lens, Allen explores a crucial yet often overlooked question: if every agency claims to be different, why do …

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Huge’s EVP: leading the next phase of digital - Michael Olaye 33:38

6M ago33:38

33:38

Today’s guest is Michael Olaye, EVP at Huge - one of the world’s most respected digital agencies - and newly independent after their exit from Interpublic. Michael shares how the recent alignment of Huge and Hero Digital was built on shared values - not just capability - and why that matters more than any press release. His big idea is how agencies…

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WPP Open's President: AI and the pursuit of happiness – Matt McNeany 41:27

6M ago41:27

41:27

Today’s guest is Matt McNeany, President of WPP Open. Drawing on two decades of experience helping the world’s biggest brands and agencies navigate digital transformation, Matt offers some much needed big picture context around AI. His ‘streamline, expand, disrupt’ model extends the established benefits of greater productivity and unpacks why diffe…

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AAR President: Knowing the people behind the creds - Lisa Colantuono 40:40

6M ago40:40

40:40

Today’s guest is Lisa Colantuono, President of search consultancy, AAR Partners. With decades of experience and zero time for fluff, Lisa lays bare what agency searches should really be about - forging proper partnerships, not playing matchmaker. Building on themes of trust and transparency, Lisa shares horror stories as well as best practice - inc…

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Forsman & Bodenfors’ Global MD: Creativity as a process - Eric Zuncic 38:18

7M ago38:18

38:18

Today’s guest is Eric Zuncic, Global Managing Director and Chief Product Officer at Stagwell’s creative collective, Forsman & Bodenfors. And he’s passionate about the work. Eric describes why our industry’s obsession with outputs is hampering impact. So if your agency is still taking briefs at face value and churning out content, then you’re missin…

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Design Bridge & Partners' Global Chief Growth Officer: A Human-First Future for Agencies - Holly Maguire 38:14

7M ago38:14

38:14

Today’s guest is the highly experienced Holly Maguire, Global Chief Growth Officer at Design Bridge and Partners. She shares her unique perspective on how agencies can evolve with empathy, not ego. As her career has progressed from advertising to brand design, and as a former agency CEO, Holly describes the power she’s seen in humility, collaborati…

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SPCSHP's Founder & Executive Chairman: Leading with culture - Michael Lebowitz 39:06

7M ago39:06

39:06

Today’s guest is Michael Lebowitz, Founder and Executive Chairman of SPCSHP – an agency that’s defied trends and labels for 25 years, and been a Harvard Business School case study not once, but twice. Using the metaphor of a living, breathing organism, Michael describes SPCSHP as a creative canvas, where culture and imagination are more important t…

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4As’ CEO: A unique perspective on agencies - Marla Kaplowitz 36:33

7M ago36:33

36:33

Today’s guest is a true agency advocate – Marla Kaplowitz, Chief Executive Officer of the 4A’s. As her 8-year tenure draws to a close, Marla speaks up for the pressures that agencies are under and the opportunities she sees in an industry transformed since the pandemic. The conversation explores the value of creativity, why speed should command a p…

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Stagwell EMEA’s CEO: Challenging the global market - James Townsend 34:06

8M ago34:06

34:06

Today’s guest is James Townsend — CEO EMEA at Stagwell and also CEO of their Brand Performance Network. Stagwell is now a multi-billion dollar challenger to the established agency HoldCo.s, so how are they approaching growth differently to their competitors? In a word: adaptation — by embracing the evolving needs of modern clients. James describes …

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Uncommon’s Co-Founder: Every moment is a chance - Nils Leonard 40:13

8M ago40:13

40:13

This episode features Nils Leonard, Co-Founder of Uncommon Creative Studio – one of the world’s most influential creative forces right now. It’s a searingly honest conversation about what it means to matter - as an individual, a creative, an agency, and as a citizen of the world. Nils unpacks why many agencies have a broken relationship with succes…

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Grey London's President: Making a promise to the market - Conrad Persons 36:44

9M ago36:44

36:44

From President to Presidency, Conrad shares his journey - from chasing Barack Obama around Virginia, to taking the reins at Grey London. He describes the importance of balancing intuition with evidence - an essential skill when balancing change with heritage at Grey over the last 12 months. We dive into value propositions and what makes them succee…

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We Are Social’s Global CEO: Nurturing creative cultures - Toby Southgate 44:51

9M ago44:51

44:51

Today’s guest is Toby Southgate, newly appointed Global CEO of We Are Social, and this episode is a real treat. Few leaders advocate so vocally for our industry as a whole, or - as you’ll hear - have such a refreshing perspective on their competitive set. Toby shares his perspective on what agencies are getting wrong when it comes to differentiatio…

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Performics’ Global Growth Officer: Breaking the burnout cycle - Bianca Best 40:47

10M ago40:47

40:47

Burnout is everywhere. And let’s be honest – agency life isn’t helping. The pressure’s relentless, deadlines never stop and somehow you're just supposed to keep going. So how can you avoid running yourself and your team into the ground? Bianca Best is the Global Growth Officer at Performics – the performance marketing arm of Publicis Media. She’s a…

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Giant Spoon’s Co-founder: How audacious ideas get made - Trevor Guthrie 36:15

10M ago36:15

36:15

Have you ever attached a 270-foot dragon to the top of the Empire State Building? No, me neither. And how do your most audacious ideas make it into the world - especially if your agency doesn’t offer clients the reassurance of a readymade creative reputation? To explore that question, today’s guest on The Immortal Life of Agencies is Trevor Guthrie…

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Candid’s CEO: The quest for agency simplification - Ruud Wanck 32:00

11M ago32:00

32:00

Today’s guest is Ruud Wanck, CEO of Candid - who describe themselves as ‘next generation holding company’. Candid’s offering has been specifically designed to address the defining challenge for modern clients - the twin needs for specialisation and integration. Ruud shares how he’s consolidated his group into three core offerings - brand, communica…

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Majority's Founder & CEO: From phoney to fearless: building an agency ‘for the culture’ - Omid Farhang 38:41

11M ago38:41

38:41

This episode features Omid Farhang, co-founder and CEO of Majority - Adweek's newly crowned Multicultural Agency of the Year. This is a fascinating insight into how one man very consciously transitioned from insecurity to market leadership. From starting a podcast that became his personal 'business school curriculum', to purposefully connecting wit…

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GroupM’s CEO: Honest leadership in times of change - Josh Krichefski 35:19

12M ago35:19

35:19

“Running an agency is like doing a jigsaw with some of the pieces missing.” How’s that for candour from GroupM’s EMEA’s CEO Josh Krichefski? This conversation unpacks the joys and challenges of running an agency of international scale - from the inevitable cycle of client wins and client losses, to the increasingly transformational needs of modern …

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Mischief’s Co-founder: The risks of malicious obedience - Greg Hahn 40:28

1y ago40:28

40:28

“The best way to win the game is by not playing the game.” How’s that for a hot take on the agency business? It’s from Mischief’s fascinating and thoughtful Chief Creative Officer, Greg Hahn. In this episode, we unpack just how pervasive fear has become in the agency business - including where it shows up and what to do about it. In a world where a…

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Jellyfish’s Global ECD: Why creativity relies on diversity - Jo Wallace 36:27

1y ago36:27

36:27

“Creativity is our ‘special sauce’”. Really, though - is it? This is the episode I’ve wanted to record for ages. I finally get to address my bemusement at agency leaders claiming that ‘creativity’ is their agency’s point of difference, and then delivering conference keynotes where they also say it’s the whole industry’s USP. Thankfully, here’s Jo W…

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Common Interest’s CEO: The business case for differentiation - Anthony Freedman 41:16

1y ago41:16

41:16

Just over a year ago, Common Interest burst onto the scene with the acquisition of former Coke and Airbnb CMO Jonathan Mildenhall’s fabled branding agency, TwentyFirstCenturyBrand. It was one hell of an entrance into the global agency space. Today’s guest is Anthony Freedman, Common Interest’s CEO and Founder. Together we unpack how he’s building a…

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Only Dead Fish's Founder: When change becomes transformation – Neil Perkin 39:19

1y ago39:19

39:19

DESCRIPTION For all the talk in agencies about change, transformation and - kill me now - ‘agility’, what exactly do these words mean in practice? And is blundering through ‘change’ causing more harm than good? To shine a light on all this, today’s guest is Neil Perkin - the founder of Only Dead Fish, a consultancy sitting at the intersection of di…

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Meet The People’s CEO: How to maintain entrepreneurialism at scale - Tim Ringel 42:07

1y ago42:07

42:07

More and more ‘mini-networks’ are seeking to beat the holding companies at their own game. These often PE-backed groups of agencies can play the agile indie card, and they can also club together to service global clients. Unsurprisingly, each group claims its own point of difference vs the traditional holding company model. Meet The People is one s…

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TomorrowToday’s CEO: How AI is changing the agency business model - Chris Johnson 40:54

1+ y ago40:54

40:54

Having touched on the omnipresent topic that is AI in pretty much every episode, this time we dive right in. Our guest is Chris Johnson, Founder and CEO of the AI consultancy, TomorrowToday. And wow, does he give value for money. While much of the industry discourse around AI centres on creative tools and ideation speed, Chris is focused on commerc…

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DDB’s Global CEO: Secrets of successful client relationships - Alex Lubar 34:58

1+ y ago34:58

34:58

When it comes to advertising agencies, they don’t come much more prestigious than Omnicom’s DDB. Whenever any of us needs a quote of substance, Bill Bernbach - the B in DDB - is always a rich source of wisdom. So what a treat to sit down with their global CEO, Alex Lubar, to find out what makes DDB successful. Alex speaks to what he sees as the two…

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Uncommon Creative Studio's Founder: The recipe for agency swagger - Natalie Graeme 37:13

1+ y ago37:13

37:13

In seven short years, Uncommon Creative Studio has gone from launch to the very top of the advertising world. Alongside the reputation, the awards and of course the work, their deal with Havas now gives them the scale to go truly global. So how can a newly minted agency achieve so much success so quickly? To find out, we sat down with one of Uncomm…

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EssenceMediacomX Chief Transformation Officer on building careers in a changing world - Sue Unerman 34:12

1+ y ago34:12

34:12

Sue Unerman is the Chief Transformation Officer of EssenceMediacomX. And having spent 34 years with Mediacom in its various incarnations, it’s fair to say that ‘transformation’ is a subject that Sue knows a thing or two about. Unpacking her personal journey across five decades (sorry, Sue!), this far-reaching conversation explores how to build an a…

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McCann Chief Strategy Officer on the profound impact of being yourself - Harjot Singh 37:40

1+ y ago37:40

37:40

Our guest today is the wonderful Harjot Singh - Global Chief Strategy Officer at McCann & McCann Worldgroup. This is a rich and personal conversation about the impact of people being different in our industry. Harjot has a real way with words and he shares some lovely thoughts, not least on the critical difference between discipline and dogma when …

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Katie Lee: How to Create Healthy Growth 32:53

1+ y ago32:53

32:53

This episode features Katie Lee - former CEO of Lucky Generals and now Chief Operating Officer of Wavemaker, the WPP media agency. Together, we explore the differences between healthy and unhealthy growth. As a case in point, Katie shares her experience of how agencies often confuse growth with strategy, which in turn leads to unhelpful - and unhea…