The Future of In-House Creative Leadership

This time I am joined by Stephanie Melodia. Stephanie is a keynote speaker, growth strategist, MBA lecturer and host of the top business show, Strategy & Tragedy. As former CEO and founder of Bloom, an award-winning marketing agency, Stephanie has amassed a vast array of firsthand data points on entrepreneurship, funding, and growth - working with 100+ startups in just 5 years.Her keynote on hacking luck explores the science behind stacking the odds in your favour, because luck isn't random; it's the result of optimistic thinking, strategic risk-taking, practising gratitude, and next-level resilience.I wanted Stephanie to join me on the podcast to talk about how we can better embrace change, instill a more entrepreneurial approach - and to talk about the mindsets and tools we need for high energy motivated and innovative creative teams.-----We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

This time I am joined by Gareth Chilton, a seasoned professional specializing in the integration of AI within creative operations. Gareth is the founder of ManMachine, a consultancy specializing in MarTech for Creative Operations.With over 20 years of experience in business transformation and two successful exits in the digital and MarTech sectors, Gareth helps organizations integrate people, process, and technology to optimize their MarTech stacks and operational efficiency. His expertise spans diverse marketing and consumer tech sectors, working with both startups and blue-chip clients globally.As an advisor for the Inside Out Community, Gareth provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of creative operations, emphasizing the integration of AI and automation to enhance creative workflows.We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates - all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey. If you’re curious more info is here: https://theinsideout.community/insider/

Lauren Pleydell-Pearce is Chief Creative Officer at PwC UK, where she leads a multidisciplinary team of strategists and designers to solve complex challenges for their clients across brand, experience, and innovation.For nearly two decades, Lauren has led creative teams at agencies and directed design for major brands like Audi, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Spotify, The Old Vic, and Volvo.Her journey from agency to leading creative at a consulting firm gives her a unique insight into how to integrate design and creativity into business strategy.Lauren is the author of PwC’s Growth Through Experience 2025 report — a fascinating look at how brands can unlock business growth with emotionally intelligent experiences. Download the report here: https://www.pwcresearch.com/uc/images/GrowthThroughExperience_2025.pdfI will be diving into the findings to see what this all means for in-house creative leaders, and how we can shape the next generation of brand experiences by balancing emotional intelligence with artificial intelligence.----We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

In this episode I am joined by Nicola Wardell, Managing Director of Specsavers Creative. Nicola brings over 20 years of experience leading creative, brand, and marketing teams for some of the world’s best-known brands. At Specsavers, she heads the in-house agency, driving creative strategy and award-winning campaigns that have helped shape the brand’s distinctive voice.Before joining Specsavers in 2020, Nicola was Chief Client Officer at Havas and previously held senior leadership roles at GREY London, where she led on major clients including United Biscuits, GSK, and Pringles. Her career also includes directing internal and external teams to deliver a major brand re-launch for Airmiles, and agency-side roles with clients such as Gillette, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Greene King.Nicola is known for her collaborative leadership style, passion for mentoring, and commitment to building inclusive, high-performing teams. Her expertise in delivering impactful campaigns and nurturing creative talent has made her a respected leader in the industry.---We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

This time, I’m joined by Lee Barnsley, Design Excellence Director at Reckitt — the company behind some of the world’s most recognised and trusted brands, including Dettol, Durex, Finish, Vanish and Nurofen.At Reckitt, Lee is leading the transformation of design — building a global Design Excellence function that combines creativity, strategy, and technology to drive innovation, elevate brand experiences, and create measurable business impact. His mission is to make design not just beautiful, but influential as a driver of growth and differentiation across Reckitt’s global portfolio.Before joining Reckitt, Lee held senior creative roles across global agencies, partnering with brands such as Nestlé, Mondelez, Unilever, and Heineken. His international career has taken him across Europe, Asia, and Australia, shaping his belief that great design happens at the intersection of cultural insight, empathy, and innovation.---We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

It’s a slightly different episode this time, but I thought you might enjoy hearing the common themes that have come up for our Inside Out® members this year, the macro trends and challenges I have been observing and….my predictions for 2026!Access our Pathway by signing up to our FREE Insider membership here https://theinsideout.community/membership/Have a great festive break and thank you for listening! 🎄

Carol Feeley, Head of Creative at Ocado Retail, leads a team of over 30 creatives spanning motion, copy, design, and beyond. With over 15 years of experience, she has crafted award-winning campaigns for brands like Innocent Drinks, Disney, and Warner Bros. Carol is a trained coach and an advocate for inclusive creative leadership. She’s known for her slightly rebellious nature, always pushing boundaries to deliver unexpected and impactful work.----We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

Mali Okoi-Obuli is the founder of OURHouse, a global creative production house built for brands that think beyond borders. With hubs spanning London to Lagos, Miami to Madrid, OURHouse champions creative production that is more open, more creative, and more diverse — collaborating across cultures to make creativity limitless. Before launching OURHouse, Mali was Global Senior Manager and Executive Producer at adidas, overseeing global campaigns for football, adidas by Stella McCartney, training, sportswear, and more. She is passionate about reframing production as a strategic, creative force — protecting ideas, solving problems, and driving cultural impact at every stage of execution.-----We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

This time I am joined by Andy Pearson, the VP of Creative at Liquid Death, the billion-dollar canned water brand that has flipped the beverage industry on its head with dark humour, viral stunts, and cult-like storytelling.Before joining Liquid Death, Andy honed his skills in top creative agencies, leading work for global brands at CP+B, Deutsch LA, and Humanaut. Since moving in-house, he’s helped build a creative culture that thrives on taking risks, making entertainment over ads, and treating Liquid Death as a character in its own right.From collaborating with Martha Stewart on severed-hand candles, to producing coffin-shaped coolers and launching absurdly entertaining campaigns, Andy has shown how fearless creativity can fuel exponential growth.------Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

Luke Scheybeler (Skybehler), a renowned creative leader and brand strategist, best known as co-founder of the global sportswear brands Rapha and Tracksmith. At Rapha, he shaped the iconic aesthetic and storytelling that redefined cycling culture, before going on to launch Tracksmith, a premium running brand rooted in tradition and performance. Beyond founding brands, Luke has held creative leadership roles with the Swiss porivate bank Pic-tay Group and Publicis Sapient.In the last few years Luke has founded a number of businesses as Chief Creative Officer/CMO.Luke believes creativity thrives when CEOs and creatives work hand-in-hand. With a career dedicated to building brands with cultural narratives, Luke continues to explore how creativity drives business, brand, technology and culture.-----Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

I joined Nish on his CreativeOps Podcast earlier this year. to deep dive on our Pathway model. (If want to know a bit more about Nish Patel then check out episode 19. )You can download our Inside Out® Pathway for free here - https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathwayThe Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.

This time I am joined by Janet Markwick and Rhona Glazebrook who together have over 60 years of experience from leading agencies, production companies and working INSIDE global brands. They're uniting their individual consultancies to form J&R Collective, with a very clear purpose: to help creative businesses thrive commercially in today’s challenging times.J&R Collective addresses a critical industry gap: the lack of commercial skills and confidence among creative leaders, who often struggle to prove their value and grow their business.Rhona, with her 30+ years in creative industries, observed this challenge first-hand, noting that commercial training for not just creatives but account people, strategists too often didn't exist. Janet, having transformed marketing accountability at Sony and led commercial turnarounds at WPP agencies, champions 'commercial creativity', blending her artistic passion with extensive business acumen.I first met Janet and Rhona when they had launched the ‘Shift Happens’ report for the IPA examining the shifts happening within the marketing ecosystem including the rise of in-house.They have been working with Inside Out for over 18 months to support us on shaping our awards and helping our members become more commercially aware so I am really pleased to have them join me on the podcast.---Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

This time I am joined by Shawn Perritt, VP of Brand Strategy & Creative at Acquia, where he leads all global creative functions for the company. With over 15 years of experience on both the agency and brand side, Shawn has shaped creative strategy for world-class brands including Microsoft, IBM, Coca-Cola, Kahlua, and Mercedes-Benz.Shawn is known for his belief that a great brand should drive every part of business and culture, blending strategic insight with creative excellence. His work has been recognised by industry benchmarks such as the D&AD, One Show, Communication Arts, Webby Awards, and Graphis. Prior to Acquia, Shawn held creative leadership roles at agencies and consulted for major brands, always championing the intersection of creativity and commerce.---Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

Ale is the founder of The Tomorrow Collective, where she empowers the next generation of creative leaders by helping in-house teams future-proof talent, bridge generational gaps, and build cohesive team cultures.With over 25 years of experience as an Executive Creative Director across US and UK agencies and in-house teams, Ale brings deep expertise in Talent Strategy & Team Design. Her portfolio includes launching and scaling products and services for global giants like Virgin, Microsoft, MetLife, AB InBev, and Gimlet/Spotify, as well as disruptive brands like MUTHA.Recognised for her innovative leadership, Ale has been honored in Fast Company's "League of Extraordinary Women" and "Most Creative People in Business" list. She is also the co-founder of SheSays, an award-winning global organization advancing women and non-binary professionals in the Creative Industries—which now has over 90,000 members globally.Ale focuses on empowering the next generation of creative leaders with a new approach to Creative Excellence. She believes that whether you’re a studio strategist, a creative leader or manage in-house operations — raising creative standards is about raising yourself and your team.-------Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

This time, I am talking to Clare Ralston, Global Head of Creative Operations & Production at Xero’s in-house agency. Clare is a seasoned in-house creative leader with nearly 20 years of experience in creative operations and production, spanning agency and in-house roles across Sydney, Melbourne, Glasgow, and London.At Xero, Clare leads global teams to deliver integrated campaigns, brand strategy, and creative content.. She’s known for her expertise in systems, processes and workflow optimisation which drive operational excellence and innovation.Clare recently celebrated the launch of Xero’s new global brand campaign, a testament to the talent and collaboration within her in-house creative team.Clare holds an MBA with a specialisation in Change Management, which has only strengthened her strategic approach to in-house creative leadership.---Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

In this episode I am talking to Niki Garner, Director of ITV Creative, where she leads the creative vision for one of the UK’s most iconic broadcasters, and is responsible for all creative output from concept to execution across all ITV’s media channels. With over two decades of experience in advertising and creative leadership, Niki is known for her ability to deliver standout campaigns and inspire high-performing teams.Before joining ITV in 2022, Niki spent over 12 years at Mother, leading major accounts for brands like Diageo (including Baileys, J&B, Pimm’s, Tanqueray), Hovis, and Unilever’s PG Tips. Her earlier career included senior roles at agencies such as Libertine and Beechwood, working with clients including Butlins, Superdrug, and Matalan and a short stint at BMF in Sydney, on the Aldi account. Niki’s collaborative leadership style and passion for creative excellence have made her a respected figure in the industry, consistently delivering campaigns that resonate with audiences and drive brand growth.---Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

In this episode I am joined by Cass Zawadowski, Executive Creative Director, North America Brand, at the global ride-sharing community Lyft.She’s a dynamic leader with over 20 years of global creative experience, known for her visionary approach, blending authenticity and calculated risk-taking to drive transformative, data-driven work that elevates brands and empowers teams.At Lyft, Cass leads the creative vision, building brand equity and developing strategies that deliver meaningful business growth. She’s passionate about fostering design-led cultures and has introduced innovative frameworks like her “4 Ps” approach and an 18-month roadmap to achieve both quick wins and long-term creative impact and investment. Before joining Lyft, Cass held senior roles across North America, Europe, and Asia, shaping campaigns for global brands like P&G, Samsung, Toyota, Biersdorf, Diageo and Maybelline. She led the Creative Excellence Initiative at financial services group Manulife, helping launch its first ever Global Brand Strategy. Cass’s work has been recognized by industry peers, with jury roles for the Effies, LIAs, Clios, ADC, Shots, Gerety Grand Jury, ADCC, Marketing, and more. Her international perspective and commitment to bold, results-driven creativity make her a true thought leader in the industry.-----Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

In this episode I am joined by Mel Ryan, a senior operations leader with over 20 years’ experience transforming in-house teams and agencies.Mel was previously VP, Group Director of Operations at Sky, where she oversaw macro operations for Sky Creative, leading large-scale operational change and championing the evolution of their creative operations.In 2024 she founded Walk The Floor, a consultancy dedicated to helping brands build, scale, and optimise their in-house operating models, processes and teams.  Mel builds collaborative, high-performing teams rooted in trust and shared success.And she’s also one of our Community Advisors where she generously shares her wisdom with our members. ----Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out® Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

This time I’m joined by by Pete Johnson and Juan Carlos Gutiérrez, co-founders of LOVE+RESPECT, an advisory firm with a difference. Drawing on decades of experience leading and transforming global creative teams for brands like Publicis, WPP, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and the LEGO Group, Pete and Juan Carlos have built a reputation for helping companies elevate their in-house creative capabilities from cost centres to engines of brand and business growth.At the heart of LOVE+RESPECT is a mindset shaped by three core values: empathy, trust, and joy. Pete and Juan Carlos believe these are the keys to unlocking not just outstanding creative work, but real business impact that can transform marketing, operations, and culture from the inside out. Their approach is about more than process - it’s about people, and about building in-house teams that are empowered, inspired, and able to deliver work that truly moves the business.These two leaders have seen it all are helping to  shape the future of in-house creative leadership. Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway

Daniel Torres who is a slightly unique person for me to interview as his career has been as a CFO. But the CFO is someone who an in-house creative leader has to regularly convince to invest in either their creative team or the work they want they do for the brand. I met Daniel though one of our members, and he is a seasoned business mentor and finance leader with over 25 years of experience spanning tech, events, and media across multiple countries. Daniel began his career in Silicon Valley, where he was involved in the IPO of a startup hardware company and later played a key role in the sale of a US-listed software business to a UK company, which brought him to London in 2008.Daniel describes himself as “an accountant with a personality: my head is business, but my heart is creative.” Many of his friends are creatives too giving him a deep appreciation for the dynamics of creativity in business. So I thought he would make the perfect CFO to talk to.---Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth.The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite.https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway