Meet the Career Chameleons: ‘Secret Suit’ Creatives
Above (left to right): Creative directors George Hackforth-Jones (AMV BBDO), Viola Hazlerigg-Greeves (The Romans), and Matteson Fields (The Variable).
Not every creative is what they seem. Ask the right questions and you might discover… They're actually a ‘secret suit’.
As part of a new Career Chameleons series, LBB has spoken to the people in this industry whose CVs might surprise you – in this instance, three creative directors who all had a pit-stop in the accounts department. From their stories of the road less travelled, we hope to gain a concrete understanding of how skillsets are evolving, and how fluid job paths might help advertising become more flexible and resilient.
Over her decade in PR, Viola Hazlerigg-Greeves from The Romans has worn “three very different hats” before finding her “forever home” in creative, including strategy in addition to accounts. “Each move wasn’t a course correction, but a conscious pivot,” she clarifies, fuelled by a curiosity to understand “how the whole machine hums, and where [she] could make the most impact.”
That’s not always the case, though; sometimes, external factors alter your course for you. George Hackforth-Jones at AMV BBDO, for example, always knew he wanted to be a creative, but found it hard to get his foot in the door, having not gone to art college. Grad schemes seemed like the smart way into the agency world, and he secured a place in J. Walter Thompson (JWT).
“I have a silly double-barrelled surname, so I think JWT assumed I was posh and stuck me on the ‘bank’ account. I suspect they were disappointed when I rocked up looking like a South American Inbetweener,” George jokes. “For two years, I was the worst global account manager HSBC ever had. On my first day, Lehman Brothers collapsed. I was asked to write a report on the global economic situation. I knew then this job wasn’t for me.”
Matteson Fields from The Variable, meanwhile, studied journalism and screenwriting at college by day, edited the city newspaper by night, and had his sights set on a career in news media. “But the Great Recession had other ideas,” Matteson comments. “Graduating in 2008, with journalism jobs scarce and student loans looming, I pivoted, landing an assistant account executive role at MullenLowe – but always eyed the creative side.”
Crucially, the detour didn’t cause Matteson to give up. Much like in college, he continued to take determined steps towards his end goal, moonlighting as a copywriter and “gladly taking creative scraps.” After three months, his first full-page ad ran in the Wall Street Journal, and, hooked, he built on that “scrappy portfolio” over the next two years. When he was ready to leap, he joined a local shop, Pave Creative Group, as a junior writer, graduating to full-time writer when it rebranded to its current form – The Variable.
“Since then, it's been about earning stripes, learning from wins and scars, and steadily climbing to creative director.”
Changing lanes like that isn’t easy. Support from mentors and workplaces can make all the difference. When he was getting itchy feet, George credits his creative director Axel Chaldecott – “aka the best human in advertising” – with helping him make the switch. Viola is also grateful for The Romans' flexibility in allowing her such a breadth of experience: “Every pivot I’ve made has sparked something new in me – kept me curious, engaged, and energised. A huge part of that is the agency that’s given me room to evolve and grow into new shapes.”
From Viola’s perspective, that openness to shapeshifting and development within the same workplace triggers better talent retention. “For me, flexibility hasn’t just been a benefit, it’s been the backbone of staying power – hence the ten years under my belt at the same shop,” she explains. When your company wants to keep you in a box you’ve outgrown, it’s time to leave. “If you’re restless and your workplace won’t meet you where you’re headed? That’s your cue. The best work happens when you’re trusted to keep moving.”
Reflecting on his non-linear path, Matteson is certain that “every detour sharpened my creative personality, equipping me with the instincts, humility, and insanity I needed for the big chair.” But beyond the general benefits of a diverse CV, it seems that an accounts background is specifically useful when it comes to creative types.
“I’ve found an underground community of ‘secret suits’ – many now well-known CDs and ECDs,” George spills, and according to him, it’s no coincidence. Being an account manager taught him “how an agency works, how to handle clients, understand briefs, and get to the best answer for everyone.” It trains people to think strategically, spot creative opportunities, and sell work. “You start to see campaigns like a prism, catching light from every angle, and that sharpens your planning instincts,” Viola agrees, adding, “You become fluent in the dialects of different departments, which makes for more cohesive, intelligent work. You develop empathy – not just for the work, but for the people behind it.
“There’s real magic in a patchwork career path.”
