Five Top Creatives Reveal the Secrets to Their Success

Have you ever wondered how CCO’s and ECD’s get to the top? It’s not easy. Directory magazine and resource have brought together Ogilvy Group UK CCO, Emma de la Fosse, Mr President CCO, Laura Jordan Bambach, MRM-Meteorite Chairwoman and CCO, Nicky Bullard, Wavemaker ECD, Ann Wixley and Geometry Global ECD, Elspeth Lynn, to spill everything you wanted to know about being a top creative and were too afraid to ask.

Here these creative role models reveal their top secret for success:

Laura Jordan Bambach is dubbed a ‘digital female icon’ and co-founded SheSays, an organisation that educates, promotes and inspires women to take up creative digital careers. In 2012, Laura joined D&AD as Vice President before becoming President in 2013. Listed on 2018’s 50 Best Female Speakers list by The Drum, Laura is reputed for her captivating speaking. She is known for her feminist views, creative mentorship initiatives and alternative ideas in design and creative direction. 

In her role with MRM-Meteorite, Nicky became the first Chairwoman and Chief Creative Officer of a UK marketing agency. Prior to this, she was LIDA/M&C Saatchi’s Executive Creative Director when the agency was awarded Campaign’s Agency of the Year twice – she also helped them win hundreds of awards. Not only has Nicky judged and chaired almost every major award show, she is a member of Women for Women’s fundraising and marketing committee, an organisation that helps survivors of war rebuild their lives. In 2017 she featured in the FT’s HERoes top 50.

Ann paved the way for creative direction in media agencies. Prior to her role as Creative Director at MEC UK in 2010, the position did not exist and her passion to champion the value of creative in media saw her define and develop the title. Continuing her aim, Ann co-founded Creative Exchange, a not-for-profit collective that champions and empowers diverse skill sets across the industry.  She has also mentored at the School of Communication Arts for over five years and has served on the faculty as creative director for a term in 2017. 

Elspeth shot to fame in the industry with her agency Zig. Founded with two business partners, it was named agency of the year in 2002, having grown to have over 140 staff in just three years. In the last six years, Elspeth has creative directed at M&C Saatchi and FCB Inferno before taking the position of Executive Creative Director at Geometry Global. Elspeth has a wealth of judging experience, including D&AD, One Show, Creative Circle, Eurobest and Cannes. As an innovative thinker and modern creative, Elspeth’s creativity is not limited to advertising. She has renovated five London homes in less than a decade, seeing her featured in Architectural Digest and is also writing a series of children’s books.

Since beginning her career as an advertising copywriter, Emma has become one of the most powerful people in advertising, as defined by Campaign’s The A List. In 2014, Emma became OglivyOne’s chief creative officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Two years later, she became the Oglivy & Mather’s Group Creative Officer, the first person to fill the role. In the same year Emma also became the first person to receive The Drum’s inaugural Creative Woman of the Year award. 

These incredible talents will be brought together at Great Guns’ charming South London pub, Great Guns Social, on 13th February in a full discussion about to reveal the events, experience that took them to the top of creative success.

If you’re interested in attending the event call 01622 545151 or email dorte[at]directnewideas.com

Great Guns Social, 96 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0EF

Tickets: £30 + VAT

Price includes 2 FREE DRINKS + veggie or shepherd's pie.

Doors open at 6pm. Start 6.45pm.