Bossing It: Andrew Orr on Envisaging ‘The Bigger Picture’
Andrew Orr joined TRO 18 years ago, progressing through the business in client development roles, then onto overseeing growth for the agency. He has now been managing director of TRO for 18 months.
Andrew leads a diverse team of individuals and skills across three UK offices that all support to deliver TRO’s full services offering.
As a proud Scot living in England, Andrew is passionate about encouraging brands to look outside the London bubble and lean into the rise of new culturally progressive areas across the UK, to better connect with their audiences.
LBB> What was your first experience of leadership?
Andrew> A scout patrol leader in the early 90’s. Leading a group of six Glaswegian boys in a slightly dysfunctional and very energetic scout troop was a challenge, to put it mildly!
LBB> How did you figure out what kind of leader you wanted to be – or what kind of leader you didn’t want to be?
Andrew> This has become much clearer to me recently. Both my style and skillset lends itself to more of a ‘strategic’ leader, as opposed to say a ‘coaching’ or ‘teacher-style’ leader. I really enjoy thinking about tomorrow and the bigger picture and how all the moving parts of our organisation needs to be set up to deliver against this.
LBB> What experience or moment gave you your biggest lesson in leadership?
Andrew> The pandemic. Whilst I wasn’t managing director of the agency at the time, I was part of the senior leadership team that had to navigate new waters set daily by the ongoing crisis. Big decisions were made quickly and looking back, how that was achieved was an amazing lesson for my future as a leader.
LBB> Did you know you always wanted to take on a leadership role? If so, how did you work towards it and if not, when did you start realising that you had it in you?
Andrew> For large parts of my career, I have played the number two role a fair bit, and to be honest, I was quite good at it. I always enjoyed the partnership working style, where I had clear focus and was allowed to get on with it.
I was comfortable in continuing in that style of role and hadn’t really thought about taking on managing director. But when it came up, I knew I had to grab it with both hands and I’m so glad I did. It’s early days, but I’m increasingly developing my own style and feeling more confident in what needs to be achieved and how to do it.
LBB> When it comes to 'leadership' as a skill, how much do you think is a natural part of personality, how much can be taught and learned?
Andrew> It’s mix of it all. Inherent, taught, learnt – each being leant on at different times as required.
LBB> What are the aspects of leadership that you find most personally challenging? And how do you work through them?
Andrew> I’m a massive believer that one of the key characteristics of strong leadership is visibility. I lead an agency that has three locations across the UK, and I challenge myself to be present across all as often as possible. Through a mix of both an in-person and virtual presence, I try and get the balance right.
LBB> Have you ever felt like you’ve failed whilst in charge? How did you address the issue and what did you learn from it?
Andrew> I am very ambitious for what I want to achieve with the future of our agency. Since I took over the managing director role, a new vision has been set. For that to be successful, it requires a number of moving parts to be seamlessly delivered. When setting this new vision, I initially failed to meticulously structure the ‘jobs to do’, which left ambiguity and a lack of accountability in a few of the transformation actions.
This has been rectified through building out a new agency operating model with clear and measurable objectives integrated throughout.
LBB> In terms of leadership and openness, what’s your approach there? Do you think it’s important to be transparent as possible in the service of being authentic? Or is there a value in being careful and considered?
Andrew> I believe transparency is crucial to maintain trust between the leadership team and wider organisation. One of my first actions when taking on my current role was holding a one-to-one with everyone in the agency – over 100 colleagues across three locations.
It was one of the most valuable work decisions I have made, as it allowed me to better understand individual motivations, worries and opportunities directly. Equally, the wider team could get a better sense of what I am trying to achieve and how they fit into that picture.
LBB> As you developed your leadership skills did you have a mentor, if so, who were/are they and what have you learned? And on the flip side, do you mentor any aspiring leaders and how do you approach that relationship?
Andrew> Like most, the leadership skills and style I have today are largely based on the experience and direction from the leaders throughout the formative phases of my career. My first chance in an agency was given to me by Mark Evans who taught me that hard work, tenacity and an attention to detail is how a small agency can punch above its weight.
When I moved to TRO 18 years ago, I worked alongside Nick Burrows for over a decade, which was one of the most satisfying periods of my career. He empowered me daily in my role to deliver great work. And lastly Mike Wyrley-Birch, who I took over from last year. He guided me in my first steps into a senior leadership role and he still offers support as a mentor today.
LBB> In continually changing market circumstances, how do you cope with the responsibility of leading a team through difficult waters?
Andrew> I try and think about tomorrow as much as possible. Whilst I don’t have a crystal ball, looking ahead helps me get a view of what is coming. What is impacting our industry? The wider economy? Our clients? Our people? And much more. Having the ability to look from this vantage point allows us plan accordingly and ride the more challenging waters when they come.
LBB> As a leader, what are some of the ways in which you’ve prioritised diversity and inclusion within your workforce?
Andrew> At TRO, we approach all people initiatives through the lens of ‘For All, By All’. This is in effect our agency mission which is: “to create IRL experiences – for all, by all – that positively impact businesses, brands and the planet.”
By prioritising how we recruit, develop and reward our workforce, opens up opportunities for all, and aims to ensure diversity of thought through the input of our people’s lived experiences. We actively look for opportunities for our people to bring their lived experiences and passions into the work we do: getting involved in relevant pitches, client accounts and thought leadership across the agency.
LBB> How important is your company culture to the success of your business? And how have you managed to keep it alive with increases in remote and hybrid working patterns?
Andrew> It is everything. TRO has had an exceptionally strong culture over the years, but like many other organisations, we felt the impact of Covid on our people. We have worked hard on adapting to the new working rhythms whist ensuring are people remain and feel connected.
We do this through bringing our offices together for summer and Christmas parties; encouraging (and covering expenses for) participation in the experiences our people are passionate about; a calendar of social initiatives led by the local office social clubs, and promoting and supporting volunteering and community projects.
LBB> What are the most useful resources you’ve found to help you along your leadership journey?
Andrew> As part of the Omnicom network, there are a multitude of training resources available to all. I have just graduated from the senior management programme at Omnicom University, which is an internal training programme designed to enhance business and leadership skills whilst promoting cross network connections. I have left with many new contacts across the globe who I can turn to for advice, support, or collaboration in the future.
