Explore the most memorable moments and highlights from season one of How I Became. From the most heart-warming scenes to the exhilarating twists and turns, this retrospective journey through season one is sure to showcase the extraordinary elements that contributed to the moments that shaped the essence of season one. Chapters: 00:00:00-Shannie Mears 00:23:45-Beth Freedman 00:33:10-Craig Spence 00:47:24-Serhat Ekinci Episode 1 - Shannie Mears Shannie Mears’ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/...
Dec 25, 2023•59 min
James Denton-Clark, the CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi, boasts over 25 years of expertise in the advertising industry, demonstrating a remarkable history of guiding teams to execute award-winning campaigns. Throughout his career, he has spearheaded transformative client partnerships, fostering brand growth and talent development. As a creative luminary, James spent the last 12 years at Karmarama, steering the agency through its acquisition by Accenture in 2016 and successfully navigating the subse...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 36
Olivier Robert-Murphy, originally from Toulouse, financed his education by chauffeuring celebrities around Paris. After serving as an officer in the French Air Force, he commenced his professional journey at Procter & Gamble. Initially entering the entertainment sector at PolyGram Video, he eventually rose to the position of VP of Marketing at Universal Pictures International Video in London. Olivier has been at the helm of Universal Music Group and Brands (UMGB), a globally recognised team ...
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 35
Jamelia Donaldson, the visionary behind TreasureTress, serves as its founder and CEO, steering the ship since its inception in 2015. TreasureTress stands out as a monthly product subscription service catering to girls and women with kinky-curly hair. With a robust online community and a thriving offline presence, the brand has successfully demonstrated the harmonious intersection of natural hair appreciation and black sisterhood. Her initial exposure to the subscription box model during her time...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 34
Stef Reid MBE, the celebrated British Paralympic long jumper and sprinter, is renowned for her athletic prowess and inspirational journey. Her remarkable tale of resilience and determination in the face of adversity has propelled her into a sought-after speaker, captivating audiences with talks on mindset, overcoming challenges, and embracing change. Stef's early passion for sports, particularly rugby, was evident at the age of 12. However, a boating accident at 15 led to life-changing injuries....
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 33
Vanessa, the Founder & CEO of Girls Talk, a globally recognised organisation, spearheads the development of innovative products and services connecting over 56,000 women with businesses in over 37 countries. The organisation achieves this through digital products, bespoke programs, and events, with a mission to democratise access to opportunities in traditionally male-dominated sectors, empowering women to advance in their careers. Under Vanessa's leadership, Girls Talk has collaborated with...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 32
Elfried is widely acknowledged as the driving force behind Gymshark's triumph on social media, playing a pivotal role in propelling the brand's fitness community from 1.5 million to 20 million in just seven years. As the current CEO and Co-Founder of the Butterfly 3ffect, Elfried is dedicated to leveraging his expertise to support emerging brands in achieving success. Growing up in DR Congo and South Africa, Elfried's family relocated to the UK. Despite the challenges of adapting to a new life a...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 31
Josh Krichefski, recognised in the advertising industry for his advocacy of mental health and cultural change, assumed the role of GroupM CEO for EMEA and the U.K. in early 2023. Krichefski's association with GroupM dates back to 2011 when he initially joined MediaCom as the Chief Operating Officer for EMEA. Over the years, he has played a pivotal role in the agency's expansion, modernisation, and day-to-day operations. Krichefski's influence extends beyond GroupM, making him a prominent figure ...
Nov 08, 2023•2 hr 6 min•Ep. 30
Neil Henderson, now the CEO of St. Luke’s has achieved remarkable success, garnering nominations for Agency of the Year in 3 of the past 4 years and consistently securing a spot on Campaign's Best Places to Work winners list for 5 consecutive years. Neil is an elected member of the IPA Council, holding the esteemed title of IPA Fellow. Additionally, he serves as a BAFTA juror. Neil's journey commenced at Still Price Lintas, where he worked on Unilever and Nestle's major brands. Later, at BBH, he...
Nov 01, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 29
Gautham Narayanan, a seasoned veteran with over two decades of experience, has embarked on an exhilarating journey of brand transformation that spans continents, dazzling the world with compelling ideas and an illustrious client portfolio. For the better part of his illustrious career, Gau was the driving force at BBDO, serving as the regional director for BBDO Africa and the managing director of BBDO South Africa. He didn't just stop at business conquests; Gau also invested his passion and expe...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 28
Prepare to embark on an enthralling journey with a special episode of "How I Became," recorded amid the electric atmosphere of the Festival of Marketing. Our star guest, Karen Blackett OBE, commands the stage as the UK President of WPP, a Non-Executive Director of Diageo and Creative UK. In this episode, we peel back the layers of Karen's remarkable life and reveal the first thrilling instalment of her path to achieving the illustrious OBE title and UK President role at the world's largest adver...
Oct 12, 2023•37 min•Ep. 27
At the age of four, Taban Shoresh and her family found themselves imprisoned, facing a harrowing ordeal at the hands of Saddam Hussein's soldiers. Today, Taban stands as the driving force behind The Lotus Flower, a charitable organisation she founded. The mission of this organisation is to empower women, girls, children, and other community members affected by conflict and displacement, equipping them with the tools and opportunities needed to rebuild their shattered lives. Remarkably, The Lotus...
Oct 05, 2023•2 hr 21 min•Ep. 26
For the past two decades, Harjot Singh’s unwavering zeal to excel in comprehending people, brands, and cultures from both creative and commercial angles has propelled him on a remarkable global journey. With an extensive footprint spanning six countries across three continents, he has cultivated, delivered, and moulded strategic solutions for some of the planet's most successful brands. In 2021, Harjot assumed the esteemed role of Global Chief Strategy Officer at McCann and soon went on to becom...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 25
In 2014, Nishma Patel Robb became a part of Google's team, where her influence has been instrumental in shaping numerous cherished programs, events, and campaigns in the UK. She's been at the forefront, contributing to the creation of iconic Google Doodles, showcasing the practicality of Google's products in daily life, aiding business growth through free digital skills training and mentoring, and advocating for online safety through the promotion of Google's products and initiatives. Her journe...
Sep 06, 2023•2 hr 34 min•Ep. 24
November of 2015 marked the momentous occasion when Bill stepped into the role of CEO at the prestigious Droga5 London office. In April 2022, Bill was appointed as the Managing Director, Accenture Song UK&I. This move brought about a more expansive role for him, encompassing added responsibilities. His new position involves the supervision of all creative agencies under Accenture Song situated in the UK and Ireland. Emerging from the dynamic Grey London, here he held the esteemed position of...
Aug 23, 2023•2 hr•Ep. 23
With more than 29 years of marketing expertise, Gav Thompson boasts an impressive career within the advertising world. From working on the infamous Guinness Surfer Ad to playing a significant role in co-founding the mobile operator, giffgaff, he has held key positions such as Global Chief Marketing Officer at Paddy Power, as well as Chief Customer Officer at Boden. Additionally, Gav served as the Head of Brand Strategy and later as the Head of Customer Innovation at O2 UK. Utilising his extensiv...
Aug 09, 2023•1 hr 45 min•Ep. 22
Founder, speaker, author, artist and taxidermist, for over 20 years, Laura has become an inspiring figure who has made a huge impact in the digital and creative industry. As a leader in the digital industry, Laura has become the ultimate award-winning creative with a long history of pioneering commercial work. Laura is now President & Chief Creative Officer at Grey London, where she is revolutionising the creative industry with her innovative ideas and bold leadership. She is leading one of ...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 21
Xavier Rees is widely regarded as one of the most influential and successful campaigning leaders in the industry. Since joining Havas in 2016, Rees has spearheaded a remarkable transformation of its reputation and business performance – leading his agencies to major new accounts including Asda, Volkswagen Group UK, and the Department for Education. Now UK Group CEO of Havas Creative Network, his innovative approach to marketing has earned him numerous awards and accolades. We discuss: -Growing u...
Jul 13, 2023•2 hr 18 min•Ep. 22
Raised in the predominantly white and middle-class area of Pinner, Trevor was one of the few black students in his school. Trevor embraced this difference and saw it as an advantage. He became head boy at school and felt that being ‘different’ meant being unique and he thrived in his school environment and early life. In 1998, Trevor began his career at Ipsos in the post room, eventually becoming a graduate trainee. After that, he moved to Ernst and Young as a Business and Strategic Analyst, and...
Jul 05, 2023•28 min•Ep. 19
In 2004, Laura joined OMD UK as a fresh-faced graduate, determined to make her mark on the industry. After years of hard work and dedication, she became the agency's first-ever female CEO in December 2020, a remarkable 16-year journey. The unique brand of leadership that Laura has displayed has enabled her to make remarkable progress and achieve incredible business success. After attending Leeds University, Laura wasn't sure what career she wanted to pursue. But when she met another graduate whi...
Jun 28, 2023•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 18
Phil's career has been an incredible rollercoaster ride spanning nearly three decades. Starting from humble beginnings as a writer, he has ascended to the position of Chief Executive at Ascential. Along the way, Phil has encountered numerous challenges and obstacles, but his unwavering determination and hard work have ultimately paid off. Today, he is not only a highly respected leader in his field but also a profound source of inspiration for many. During his time at an academic school, Phil st...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 1
Mimi Turner likes to make complicated things simpler. Over a career of twenty years she has found out - often the hard way - that while the price to be paid for this process of reimagination can be painful, the results will be transformational and spectacular. Driven by a desire to connect on ideas, Mimi became fascinated by journalism during her time at university and eventually became a science writer for the Sunday Times, where her engineering training came in handy deciphering complex journa...
May 11, 2023•1 hr 54 min
Matt’s career started after leaving university and joining the company ‘Friends Reunited’, a new social media platform for connecting schoolmates. Wanting to expand into online dating, Matt was given a role in digital. With only having experience in digital marketing, this would be a challenge for Matt. Luckily, an employee there agreed to teach Matt all she knew for three months before having her baby. Four days in, Matt received a phone call, she had gone into labour. Matt was now running a da...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Stephen’s interest in advertising came from his favourite subjects at school – art and economics – and so he looked for a career that combined the creative and the commercial. He also was an avid reader of the ads and used to make montages of the ads from magazines as part of his art course and this helped set his heart on working in advertising. Stephen studied economics and graduated in 1980, at a time when the economy was in recession and jobs were scarce. He applied for agency and marketing ...
Apr 05, 2023•1 hr 39 min
Born in Toronto and growing up in Ottawa, by junior high Metz would soon be leaving her life in Canada to start a new one In Honduras. Moving to San Pedro Sula, a 12-year-old Metz would have to adjust to a new life. Not speaking Spanish, or knowing anything about the culture, the adjustment would be difficult. After spending 5 years in Honduras, Metz returned to Canada to finish high school. Now older and with much more life experience, Metz found it hard to adjust back into Canadian life. Start...
Mar 22, 2023•1 hr 42 min
Paul was just 14 years old when his father asked him what career he wanted to choose. Having grown up beguiled by the jet set life depicted in Martini TV ads, Paul simply mentioned “Advertising.” Other than having a liking for ads, Paul had no connection with the Ad world but he was determined to find out more. Luckily, at the time, Watford College was unique in being famous for being a place to study advertising, they took around 35 students a year and Paul managed to be one of them. Paul’s adv...
Mar 08, 2023•1 hr 47 min
Raj Kumar has over two decades of experience in marketing, having been the Head of Marketing, EMEA at Experian, Head of Marketing, Europe at Nokia and numerous manager roles at Siemens. He joined Aviva almost 9 years ago as Global Head of Marketing Strategy and Planning. Raj is no stranger to transforming companies and was promoted to Brand and Reputation Director in 2017. Raj is now Chief Marketing Officer of Silicon Valley Bank. Growing up in India, by the time he was 18, Raj had moved nearly ...
Feb 23, 2023•57 min
The Story Dino’s career within the media industry has spanned over 20 years, working at established agencies such as MullenLowe and the7stars, Dino took his experience and founded his own agency – The Barber Shop. Before his successful career, Dino faced challenges trying to get into the advertising industry. After countless rejections, Dino secured interviews and job offers with 3 renowned media agencies, deciding to choose MediaCom and become a press buyer, Dino’s career in advertising and med...
Feb 10, 2023•1 hr 38 min
The story… Growing up the youngest child, Sue learnt from a young age that hierarchy wasn’t for her, this later allowed Sue to break the norms within the workplace and try different approaches in order to succeed. In her teenage years, becoming an introvert meant Sue often felt quite lonely, concentrating on her studies and her love for history allowed Sue to focus on her techniques rather than networking which later benefited her career. Sue then began her career at The Media Business as the He...
Jan 26, 2023•1 hr 11 min
‘Nothing is for granted’ – Andrew Dimitriou Leaving a dictatorship in Greece for Australia with nothing but the clothes on their backs, Andrew Dimitrou’s parents imbued in him the values of hard work and discipline that would shape his impressive and impactful career. Dismissing the modern notion of ‘work smart not hard’, Andrew worked his way to the top from the very bottom – an intern in the very company he would lead one day. Consistency, inquisitiveness, and passion are the markers of his su...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 30 min
