Spikes Excitement Talks

In this episode, Gordon Euchler speaks with Zsuzsanna Szak, Global Category Director at Henkel, about building a global FMCG career driven by curiosity, ownership, and people-centric leadership.Zsuzsanna shares her journey from early marketing roles at FrieslandCampina to nearly a decade at Colgate-Palmolive, followed by senior leadership roles at Henkel across multiple countries. Having lived and worked in six countries, she reflects on how international experience, adaptability, and continuous learning have shaped her leadership style.The conversation explores what marketing looks like beyond campaigns, the value of cross-functional collaboration, and why people centricity is essential in both marketing and leadership. Zsuzsanna also introduces her perspective on endurance versus resilience, explaining why sustainable routines and long-term thinking matter more than short bursts of effort in today’s fast-changing world.Tune in to find out how to stay grounded while navigating constant change.

In this episode, Gordon Euchler speaks with Amina Mattern, Head of Marketing for Canada and LATAM at Indeed. Amina shares her career journey from psychology and journalism into global marketing leadership roles across agencies, LinkedIn, and now Indeed.They discuss the evolution of digital marketing, the importance of aligning marketing and sales, and how brands can balance growth with ethics and responsible data use. Amina also reflects on leadership, mentorship, and how personal experiences have shaped her approach to work.Tune in to take a look to the future of marketing, where Amina explains why mentoring the next generation of marketers and using AI to unlock creativity excites her most.

In this short episode of Spikes Excitement Talks, Gordon Euchler speaks with Mona Elsaka, VP Global Sponsorships & Partnerships at Mastercard,  about the evolving role of marketing at the intersection of culture, technology, and human passion. Mona shares her journey from social impact work to leading major brand and communication functions, and why brand partnerships and human connection remain at the heart of meaningful marketing.She reflects on mentors who shaped her mindset, the importance of not taking things personally, and why authentic, trust-building storytelling will define the future.Tune in for a refreshing chat about creativity, collaboration, and the power of people in a tech-driven world.

In this episode of Spikes Excitement Talks Gordon Euchler hosts  Julien Moignard, Global Chief Prospective Innovation and Design Officer & SVP - Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever.The conversation explores the future of beauty, innovation, and leadership. Julien shares his journey from a family of pharmacists to working with L’Oréal and Estée Lauder, and now driving Unilever’s transformation into a true beauty company.He discusses how he blends innovation, design, and sustainability to create products that inspire confidence, joy, and desire. Furthermore foresight, mentoring, and shaping the future of work and life, while balancing business ambition with human responsibility. Tune in for a conversation packed with passion, vision and the art of making beauty meaningful.

In this episode, Gordon Euchler talks with Gabriele Haessig, Managing Director for Communications and Sustainability at Procter & Gamble Deutschland (Germany). With a remarkable career spanning decades at P&G, Gabriele shares her journey from economics student to leading sustainability and communications for one of the world’s biggest brands. She discusses how purpose and sustainability are woven into the fabric of P&G, shaping everything from product innovation to global partnerships. Gabriele also dives into her vision for the future—a future where brands are co-created with purpose, sustainability is no longer optional, and businesses actively contribute to a better world for generations to come.Tune in for an motivating conversation on how brands can drive meaningful change and why the future is brighter than we think.

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Marco Philipp Koppenstein, Head of Category Development DACH at Mars Wrigley, about excitement, leadership, and the future of retail.Marco shares how he found his way to Mars, why he stayed, and what makes the company’s purpose. He explains how his team works as a neutral, data-driven category consulting unit, optimizing store touchpoints, checkout layouts, and impulse modules to grow entire categories, not just brands.They talk about inspiring leaders, why the best ones stay in the background, and how Marco’s own team motivates him daily. He also reveals what excites him about the future: AI-driven retail, seamless shopping, and shaping the next generation of in-store experiences.Tune in for an inspiring talk about purpose, growth, and the people who make work exciting.

In this episode, Gordon speaks with Mark Grether — one of the rare leaders who has built billion-dollar advertising businesses at Amazon, Uber, and now PayPal. Mark shares the story behind selling Seismic to Amazon as their first-ever advertising acquisition, how he helped turn Uber profitable through ads, and why PayPal’s transaction graph may be one of the most powerful data assets in the industry.He explains how PayPal Ads is being built from the ground up and how innovations like storefront ads let people buy products directly inside any publisher environment — without ever leaving the page.Along the way, Mark reflects on the people and principles that shaped his career, from German media pioneers to Amazon’s leadership culture. And we end on the big one: what excites him about the future of advertising in the age of AI.Tune in for a conversation about data, identity, commerce, and the next wave of advertising innovation.

In this episode, Gordon Euchler speaks with Matteo Giarrizzo, Head of Media & Digital at Opella (Sanofi), about his journey from media agencies to major global brands like Samsung, Vodafone, L’Oréal, and Henkel—leading up to his current role in the fast-evolving consumer health sector.Matteo shares how media has always been the engine of change, why FMCG mindsets are reshaping healthcare, and how AI is transforming the relationship between content, audiences, and brands. He reflects on global transformation projects, the mentors who pushed him beyond his comfort zone, and why the future of marketing is exciting precisely because it’s unpredictable.Tune in for a concise conversation about change, curiosity, and building the future of media.

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Cristian Grajales—a marketing leader with an extraordinary journey spanning more than 15 years at Audi, global roles across continents, a leap into autonomous-driving tech, and now CMO at Germany’s long-established homebuilding company, Viebrockhaus.What connects selling sports cars and selling homes? As Cristian reveals: a car takes you from A to B—but a home brings you home. Together, they explore the deep emotional power behind buying a house, the German one-time-in-a-lifetime homeownership mindset, and how these insights shaped Viebrock’s new campaign “Einmal im Leben”.The conversation addresses how early hardship shaped Cristian’s work ethic and global mindset, the creative giants and empathetic leaders who shaped his career, navigating the scale and speed of a global automotive brand and why the future of marketing belongs to human creativity amid exponential tech and AI.Tune in for an insightful conversation about career, creativity, and the places we choose to call home.

In this episode, Gordon sits down with Steffen Zeller, CMO of Rügenwalder Mühle – the German food pioneer that taught an entire nation to love veggie meat. Steffen shares his unusual journey from physics student to FMCG marketer, shaped by mentors, challenges, and a love for food discovered on the beaches of La Rochelle.He talks about reviving iconic brands, launching innovations with tiny budgets, bringing the Captain back from sea, and what it’s like to run marketing in a company that produces both meat and plant-based alternatives under one roof.Steffen also gives a rare inside look at how his team blends marketing fundamentals with entrepreneurial test-balloons, how agencies become one team instead of suppliers, and why consistency beats pressure.And in the end, he shares what really excites him about the future: not just the next campaign, but the responsibility—and opportunity to transform how we eat.Tune in to get inspired to do things differently.

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Nuno Alexandre, Global Condiments Head of Category & Commercial Strategy at Unilever, to explore what truly drives excitement in modern marketing — from building category growth to evolving heritage brands for a changing world.Nuno shares his journey — from KPMG to Coca-Cola and now Unilever — reflecting on what it means to bridge brand ambition with commercial reality. He discusses how great marketing starts with a deep understanding of shoppers and customers, and how that understanding fuels growth not just for companies, but for entire categories.Together, they unpack how Unilever builds category growth that benefits both brand and retailer, the art of translating brand strategy into commercial activation, the balance between global consistency and local relevance, why AI and personalization are reshaping the future of food and shopper behavior and what makes truly great brands feel “human” — and why we invite them to our dinner tables.Nuno also reflects on leadership lessons from inspiring managers, how to lead from behind, and why empathy and simplicity remain timeless in business.Listen now to discover why the future of marketing lies at the intersection of purpose, personalization, and people.

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Mohamed Aboelfotouh, Senior Marketing Director for Content & Digital Innovation at PepsiCo, to trace a career journey that redefines what it means to embrace change and chase excitement.From computer science lecturer in Cairo to leading global digital transformation at one of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies, Mohamed shares how curiosity, courage, and creativity fueled every step of his path — and how taking smart leaps into the unknown can spark real growth.Together they explore how a computer science background became the perfect foundation for digital marketing leadership, the bold leap from academia to Nestlé — and how one coffee mug changed everything, what it takes to scale digital and content innovation across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia and the art of influence over authority in global roles.Listen now to hear how one marketer’s leap from code to content became a masterclass in reinvention and growth.

In this  episode, host Gordon welcomes an old friend, colleague, and former boss — Jo Royce, whose remarkable career spans Glue, Sapient, Google, Unilever, and Kimberly-Clark.Together, they explore the evolution and implosion  of the creative and marketing industries in an era of AI disruption, automation, and shifting business models. They dive deep into the changing landscape of advertising and marketing, why the industry struggles to attract diverse new talent, the impact of AI on creativity and employment, leadership, learning, and staying “connected to the do” and inding purpose and humanity in fast-changing systemsAlong the way, Jo shares candid stories from her path — from building agencies to mentoring through WACL and Brixton Finishing School — and offers hope and honesty for anyone navigating change.Tune in to get refreshing insights!

In this episode, Dave Cobban sits down with Stephanie Jacoby, Global SVP of Vodka at Diageo, to explore her remarkable 18-year journey in brand marketing — from her early career in tech to leading some of the world’s most iconic spirits, including Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff.Stephanie shares how her background in psychology shaped her approach to building brands with purpose, authenticity, and human connection. She opens up about the mentors who shaped her leadership, the bold campaigns that moved audiences — like Keep Walking — and her belief that brands have the power to change the world.We can also hear how curiosity and courage define great marketers, why inclusivity and “positive drinking” are core to Smirnoff’s DNA,  the rise of mindful drinking and low/no-alcohol innovation and how AI is transforming creativity, storytelling, and consumer connection.  Tune in for a conversation full of insight, optimism, and a reminder to always keep walking.

*German episode*In this episode, Gordon Euchler welcomes Sonja Messerschmidt, Head of Marketing and Communications at ÖRAG Rechtsschutzversicherung, for a chat about the evolution of marketing — from classic communication to a discipline centered around solutions and customer empowerment.Sonja shares insights from her career path, which began in advertising and led her through many years at Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf before taking on her current leadership role at ÖRAG. Together, she and Gordon explore how marketing can help customers not just buy, but solve and why this mindset is transforming the role of brands today.The topics include why Sonja believes in a “driver’s license for AI” to guide responsible use inside companies, the importance of trust and curiosity in leadership and career growth and why today’s strongest brands don’t just communicate — they deliver real solutions.Tune in to find out how solution-oriented marketing keeps business and people moving forward.

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Akshay Sardesai, Vice President of Marketing at Reckitt, to explore how curiosity, adaptability, and humility fuel long-term success in a fast-changing business world. Akshay shares his journey from starting out at Procter & Gamble in India to leading Reckitt’s Enfamil brand in the United States — reflecting on the lessons from each chapter and the people who helped shape his path.The conversation dives into, the art of unlearning old habits to stay agile in new markets, how to balance global brand consistency with local relevance, the role of family and personal choices in an international career. Moreover what iconic brands like Heinz, Apple, and Dettol teach us about reinvention and why AI and technology are set to transform the very core of marketing. Tune in for a conversation about reinvention, resilience, and the future of marketing in the age of AI.

In this episode of Excitement Talk, Gordon Euchler sits down with Nicola Villa, Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth at Mastercard, to explore the intersections of technology, public policy, and economic transformation across three decades of innovation.From his beginnings in industrial economics to his early days at Cisco’s European call center, Nicola shares an extraordinary career journey that took him from pioneering B2B e-commerce to global smart city initiatives, and now to AI-driven public sector solutions at Mastercard. Nicola shares why trust, not tech, is the real driver of innovation, how a tiny Finnish city near the Arctic Circle became a global reference point for innovation, the critical role of language and cultural translation between sectors, why copy-pasting Silicon Valley doesn’t work—and what to do instead. Moreover the four pillars Nicola believes every successful public-private partnership needs: leadership, governance, competencies, and technology.Tune in to find out how to create real societal change at scale and get insights about the future of global innovation.

In this episode, Moritz Wehr sits down with Catherine Niebuhr, CMO NIVEA for Germany & Switzerland at Beiersdorf.Catherine shares her unique career journey — a rare example in today's marketing world of someone who has spent 23 years with a single company. She opens up about what’s kept her energized at Beiersdorf for over two decades: constant opportunities for growth, a flexible and inclusive work culture, and a deep personal connection to both the brand and the people she works with.Together, Moritz and Catherine explore the dynamics of job-sharing in executive roles, lessons from working under strong female leadership and the evolution of NIVEA and marketing in a fast-changing digital-first world. Moreover how traditional brands can stay relevant amid rising influencer and personality-led beauty brands and why culture, flexibility, and purpose-driven branding matter more than ever.Tune in for insights about making career choices with heart, adapting to change, and building a sustainable, meaningful path in leadership.

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Rene Federico, an experienced brand leader whose career spans two powerhouse names in retail—Nike and Converse—and now, Head of Marketing US at Primark.Rene shares her journey from the shop floor of Nike Town Boston to shaping the basketball brand at Nike, and now leading brand building in a fast-growing US market at Primark. The conversation explores, what it really means to connect brands with consumers, how to build brand equity from the ground up, why strong retail fundamentals create space for bold storytelling, the power of leadership, optimism, and staying obsessed with the customer and how creators are rewriting the rules of branding today.Tune in if you want to know more about how passion and practicality come together in great marketing.

In this episode, Gordon Euchler sits down with Patrick Krul, former Global Head of Marketing Technology at Danone, to explore the intersection of marketing, technology, and capability-building.From his key roles at Unilever, DPG Media, and Danone, Patrick shares a career shaped by curiosity, a deep passion for consumer-centric marketing, and a strong belief in the power of data consciousness. He discusses what it really means to build scalable marketing capabilities, the challenges of leading transformation across 40 markets, and how connecting marketing and sales technology can elevate impact.Moreover why capability, not just technology, is the key to modern marketing success, a behind-the-scenes look at transforming Danone’s global martech stack and the importance of cross-functional collaboration—from IT to legal to HR. Patrick also reflects on the people who shaped his career, the value of curiosity, and why being data conscious is the future of impactful marketing.Listen in to learn how data, tech, and people come together to drive meaningful growth.