5 Minutes with… Lisa Hurst
When Amp Agency, Upshot, Hatch, Genome, and SmallTalk – under Advantage Solutions – came together to form a united entity in Amp, the organisation was in need of someone with proven brand building success to lead its client services team.
In came Lisa Hurst, who’d spent over two decades at Upshot, progressing from account director to EVP of marketing and strategy. Instrumental in consolidating the Chicago agency’s reputation on the global stage, she played a key role in securing and shaping partnerships with clients such as Starbucks, Google, Head & Shoulders, Quaker, Evolution Fresh, and Schwan’s.
Taking on the newly created position of chief client officer at Amp, Lisa defined the parameters of her role with intention and ambition. She prioritised strong agency-client relationships and ensured that client leads had room to breathe and flex their creative muscles and point of view, bringing breadth and depth to each partnership.
Today, the opportunity for brands to build real, emotional connections with consumers continues to excite Lisa – even after over two decades in the industry – a reflection of her curious mind and desire to understand and connect with people on a deeper level.
Keen to find out more about Lisa’s career, inspirations and leadership style, LBB’s Abi Lightfoot caught up with her for a chat.
LBB> Your career started at Procter & Gamble, where you found your talent for brand building and go-to-market strategies, but looking back, had you always known that you wanted to work in advertising?
Lisa> When I started at Procter & Gamble, my role was more focused on insights: understanding how people think, what drives their decisions, and how that behaviour could inform smarter marketing. Over time, I found myself drawn to how people respond to and engage with brands. That’s when it clicked that I had both a passion and an instinct for building brands.
LBB> What is it about brand building that most excites you, and why?
Lisa> For me, it’s the ability to create a connection with consumers that builds a kind of love or loyalty that goes beyond the functional use of a product. I’m drawn to the intangible factors that make you fall in love with a brand – not a product or a category, but the brand itself. As consumers became more transactional and value-oriented, those moments where brands can form a true emotional connection are becoming rarer. That’s what excites me: helping brands transcend the rational and tap into something deeper and more lasting.
LBB> Have client expectations and demands changed over the years in relation to brand building? If so, in what ways, and how do you respond to this?
Lisa> Yes, client expectations continue to evolve, especially with the proliferation of media and all the different ways we consume and interact with brands. It’s created this kind of taffy pull between building brand equity and driving demand, as if you have to choose one over the other. But the real challenge is doing both at once, without one eroding either.
In some cases, I see brands doing this really well, especially in social. But I also see executions where it’s clearly one or the other, instead of thinking about how consumers actually experience things… which is all at once. It’s seamless to them. That’s the mindset we try to bring to our work: creating brand connection and driving demand simultaneously, in a way that feels seamless and intuitive to the consumer.
LBB> You spent over two decades at Upshot, progressing from account director to EVP of marketing and strategy, securing partnerships with numerous high-profile clients such as Starbucks, Google and Head & Shoulders along the way. How did the agency help to nurture and grow your career into the leader you are today?
Lisa> Upshot had a strong entrepreneurial culture that really shaped how I think and lead. The agency believed brand building and driving action should go hand in hand, and that mindset gave us room to experiment. There was real autonomy with accountability – we were encouraged to take risks, challenge the norm, and bring unexpected ideas to the table.
We had this internal filter for ideas: ‘Do I get it? Do I believe it? Would I expect it?’. That pushed us to go beyond the obvious. Whether it was pop-ups, early influencer work, or new media formats, we were often doing things for the first time. That culture of creativity and persistence helped build trust with clients and had a huge impact on how I approach leadership today.
LBB> As five agencies merged to form Amp, and you became chief client officer, how did you transition into the role – were there any elements from Upshot that you were keen to carry over, and were there any significant changes that you had to adapt to?
Lisa> The chief client officer role didn’t exist at Amp before the merger, so part of the transition was defining what that role should be, and more importantly, what great client-agency relationships should look like in this new structure. That meant organising our teams and capabilities around each client more intentionally, and making sure we had subject matter experts across key verticals to better deliver strategic thought leadership and innovation to our clients.
One thing I carried over from Upshot was the importance of giving client leads the space to think beyond the brief – to invest in thought leadership and organic growth ideas they believed could move the business forward. Our clients hire us for services, yes, but also for our point of view. So, we’ve made it a priority to stay convicted in that – to push thinking, even if it means stepping slightly outside of scope – because that’s where real partnership and value show up.
LBB> Your bio states that your career is defined by “an intuitive sense of what consumers want next”, so how do you keep your finger on the pulse of what consumers actually want in today’s market?
Lisa> It starts with staying curious and always asking why. I use a mix of tools and approaches, from social listening and AI to traditional research methods, but I also rely on real-world observation. Whether I’m in a store, a bar, or just out and about, I pay close attention to how people interact with brands. What are they picking up? Are they reading the label? What draws them in?
That kind of curiosity often leads to deeper questions and insights. It’s almost like informal ethnographic research. We also look at data of course, but not just for the numbers. The real value is in uncovering the human insight behind the data and using that to guide better, more meaningful marketing decisions.
LBB> As chief client officer, you’re responsible for a multitude of things, one being fostering innovation across the agency. What does ‘innovation’ look like at Amp?
Lisa> The traditional answer focuses on tools, technology and AI, and the way they improve the speed and accuracy of the inputs that shape our work. But for me, innovation is just as much about mindset. It’s about approaching problems differently, thinking creatively, and pushing boundaries.
We’re always inspired by the idea of ‘never been done’. That might show up in the way media and creative intersect in unexpected ways, or in a single idea that creates a deeper connection with consumers. Technology plays a role, of course, but real innovation comes from how we use technology to fuel thinking and elevate creative output.
LBB> You’re recognised for your ability to win new business and build strong and lasting client relationships, what is it about your personality and approach to the role that makes you so successful at doing this?
Lisa> I think it really comes down to understanding people. I moved around a lot as a kid, and that taught me how to adapt to different personalities and situations. It gave me a sense of how to connect with all kinds of people and navigate different dynamics. I try to bring a strong point of view to the work, but I’m also self-aware enough to flex my style depending on who I’m working with.
LBB> Have you had any mentors throughout your career, and what wisdom have they shared with you that you continue to come back to?
Lisa> The person that stands out for me is Brian Priest, a creative leader I worked with at Upshot. I loved bouncing ideas off him and talking through challenges. He had this incredible ability to listen, then offer a perspective I hadn’t considered. He approached problems in a completely different way than I did, and that opened my mind to new ways of thinking.
He was also never afraid to give honest feedback. He’d ask the tough questions, challenge assumptions, and always push me to consider other angles. That mix of listening, perspective, and constructive challenge has really stayed with me. It’s something I try to model in how I lead and collaborate today.
LBB> What’s a piece of advice you’d give to someone wanting to pursue a career built around client relationships and brand building?
Lisa> I’d say spend some time shadowing the role to really understand the day-to-day – the ups and downs, the pace, and the reality of agency life. It is a marathon, not a sprint. But, if you are someone who is genuinely curious and passionate about understanding consumers, that is a strong foundation. Curiosity and empathy will take you far in this business.
LBB> Lastly, if you could to change one thing about the industry - what would it be, and why?
Lisa> I think the push for in-housing and the constant focus on efficiency has created a shift where speed and short-term impact are prioritised over big ideas. In chasing immediate results, we have lost some of the long-term thinking that is essential to building strong, lasting brands in consumers’ minds.
Over the past decade, the industry has become more focused on short-term gains than it used to be. I would love to see a return to valuing long-term brand building alongside performance, because real brand love and loyalty take time.
