Catalyst Uprising: Navigating This Ever-Changing Industry with Conor Ryan

In April 2021, Wunderman Thompson launched the Catalyst Academy to support and develop the next generation of talent. Built to develop future marketers and equip them with the experience and skills to thrive in a competitive industry, the industry-defining programme aims to bring together talent from different backgrounds to build brilliant experiences for consumers. 

This spin-off of the Uprising series will highlight some of the ambitious, creative, collaborative and curious Catalyst Fellows who have now become full-time employees at Wunderman Thompson after their 18-month rotation through the business, as they share how they’re using their skills to inspire change in their new roles. 

This edition is by Conor Ryan, who now works as global strategy manager at Wunderman Thompson.

Tell us a little bit of background!

I grew up in the countryside of Ireland, in a small village called Manor Kilbride. The village was so small, that in primary school they merged age groups together so you had two years for every class. Although it’s in the countryside, Manor Kilbride is located only 40 minutes from Dublin city centre. I went to secondary school in Dublin, which was a stark contrast compared to primary school. I hated living in the countryside as most of my friends lived in Dublin and I couldn’t drive until I was 17. This meant that I spent far too much time on buses in my teen years, often waiting for the last bus home at 11pm. Since moving to London I’ve been surrounded by new, unfamiliar faces, and the city is in constant motion. This has led to a new appreciation for Manor Kilbride's remoteness and for the comfort of a familiar face. The bus situation hasn’t changed though.

Most of my childhood was spent playing sports. Whether it was Gaelic football, football, rugby, athletics or even basketball for my local clubs or at school. At any given time, I was probably playing with four or five different sports teams. In school, I played on every team I possibly could as it meant less time spent in the classroom. As I got older, I had to start prioritising some sports over others, as training twice a day, as well as my parents dropping me off and picking me up from training or matches every day of the week, began to take its toll. The sport that I ended up playing the most was Gaelic football. 

Getting started in the industry

I have a degree in marketing, innovation and technology from Dublin City University. My degree is the only one of its kind in Ireland. It not only gave me a strong background in the fundamentals of marketing, but it also allowed me the opportunity to study many of the subjects and industries I may encounter in my career, such as data analytics, biotechnology, supply chain management, and emerging tech, etc. I think it was a decent stepping stone before joining Wunderman Thompson, as we either have capabilities or represent clients in many of the areas I studied.

In my third year at university, I had the opportunity to go and study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Having the chance to choose my own classes, I naturally saw myself gravitating towards advertising. In these classes, I learned about the ‘greats’ of the advertising world – Ogilvy, Bernbach and Leo Burnett, along with some of the best campaigns of all time, including VW’s ‘Think Small’ and car rental company Avis’ ‘We Try Harder’. The latter is probably my favourite campaign of all time. Before this, I had always envisioned myself working client-side. However, my learnings in the US opened my eyes to consider a career path I had not really given much thought to, which eventually led me to apply for the Catalyst Program. 

The work, the work, the work

My job as a global strategy manager is unique, it is the only position of its type at Wunderman Thompson. I work closely with our global chief strategy officer on a variety of strategic projects and many of our largest global clients. What I like about the role is that no week or task is the same. I could be working on a project with the strategy team in North America one week or our data team in South America the next. I also get exposure to all the most senior leaders in our business - something that is uncommon for someone still in the relatively early stages of their career. 

Another part of my role is working with our global head of Emerging Channels, with the aim of growing that side of our business. At Wunderman Thompson, we define Emerging Channels as encompassing anything from AI to Web3 and virtual worlds. What I love about that part of the role is that we’re dealing with so many unknowns, as technology is moving at such a rapid rate. Our job is to help our clients navigate this changing landscape and use these technologies in a meaningful way. 

The state of the industry

What excites me about the industry is the fact that it’s changing. It’s no secret that the ‘Mad Men’ days of advertising are over. Although that looked like a lot of fun, I’m excited about the future of the industry. Brands have greater expectations for agencies than ever before. It is no longer good enough to just make brands look good through their advertising, brands now expect agencies to help improve every part of their business - from building their data collection practices, to the UX of their websites, to even how they structure their organisation and marketing functions. I think this can be seen in the consolidation of the industry over the last few years, Wunderman Thompson (the merger of JWT, one of the most iconic creative agencies in the world with Wunderman, a digital agency), being a prime example of this. Wunderman Thompson is now a strategic business partner to our clients, not just an agency. 

Passions and inspirations

As you might guess from reading the beginning of this piece, a lot of my time outside of work is spent playing sports. I’m a member of an Aussie rules (google it) and Gaelic football club, along with playing five-a-side with work. As well as keeping me fit, I love the social aspects of sports and the fact that for one or two hours a day, it helps you forget about many of the stresses in life. Playing Gaelic football also often gives me the feeling of being at home, which is always comforting. I’m also a big Liverpool F.C. fan and have been lucky enough to go to a few games this year, even though they haven’t quite reached the heights they have in previous years.

When it comes to holidays, I value adventures and experiences over relaxation. Last year I, along with my two brothers, travelled over 2,000km from Leh, Ladakh in Northern India over the Himalayas to Jaisalmer in Western India in a tuk-tuk (yes, a tuk-tuk). In total it took about ten days to complete. It was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life, but I would do it again tomorrow if I had the chance. I’m currently on the lookout for my next adventure.