Can you tell us a little about your background and where you joined us from?
I’ve worked in the marketing and advertising arena for almost 25 years, across virtually every major product category. For the past several years I’ve been in New York, initially leading strategy for Ogilvy, and most recently running the NY office for Havas Worldwide. Prior to my time in New York I lived in San Francisco and worked at Hal Riney & Partners, where I had the good fortune to collaborate with Mike Barrett, the managing director for Heat. So when I heard about the launch of Heat + Deloitte in New York, I wanted to be a part of it.
What attracted you to Deloitte?
One of the coolest things about working with clients is the opportunity to help them imagine what’s possible, and with Deloitte, Heat now has the ability to turn any creative idea into reality, from reimagining a client’s business model from the ground up to developing a seamless mobile experience to launching a new campaign. Deloitte has the scope and deep client relationships to have business conversations, not just marketing conversations. That should open up endless opportunities for the entire organization.
What do you believe sets us apart from the competition?
For an independent creative agency the competition is often the big holding companies who have scope but lack the intimate client relationships of Deloitte and ultimately operate a flawed business model — a model with a built-in disincentive to invest in their client’s business. The way Heat + Deloitte operates, we’re able to invest the time and energy to get ahead of clients’ challenges, to imagine what we’d do if we were them, and to really assume a more integral role in their business. Basically we’re motivated to solve their problem, not sell them something they don’t need or didn’t ask for.
What’s surprised you the most since starting at Deloitte Digital?
Can I say the compliance training? It’s such a big company that the amount of onboarding and training can be overwhelming, but everyone has been incredibly welcoming and is really excited about Heat coming to NYC.
What do you see as the biggest area for growth in your discipline?
Clients are overwhelmed by how fragmented the marketing industry has become and want a partner who can stitch it all together for them. And the notion of branding has changed from what a company says to what a company does — how a brand behaves in the world and the customer experiences it creates. For us there is now a huge opportunity to define every stage of that customer experience.
What do you think the future looks like for creative agencies?
A truly creative agency will have to apply creative thinking to every aspect of a client’s business, from how they answer the phone to what the store looks like to the mobile experience to the advertising campaign that celebrates the shared values of their customers. Creative agencies need to harness a broader range of the talent than ever before, because the old divisions between strategy and execution don’t exist anymore.
What inspires you?
Not necessarily in this order:
- My daughters
- Collaborating with kindred spirits
- Bacon
What’s your favorite emoji?
Lately I’ve been communicating mostly with bitmojis and Star Wars gifs, but if I had to pick an emoji I’d probably go with the upside-down smiling face, which sums up how I’m feeling most days.
Better Jimmy, Fallon or Kimmel?
I’d have to go with Kimmel.
What’s on your current playlist?
Currently listening to Ruth B., Marina and The Diamonds, Halsey and the Hamilton soundtrack. I confess my music selections these days are heavily influenced by having a teenager in the house.
