Ian Hudson Built Global Giants, Now He’s Betting on ITG

Ian Hudson is in his second week as chief production officer at Inspired Thinking Group (ITG) when I meet him. He tells me he’s still getting his bearings. “It’s been a week of getting my head around things – how ITG works, the different areas, and meeting the teams." It’s been a whirlwind few days, but Ian speaks with the kind of calm, quiet confidence of an industry veteran.

That confidence was hard-earned. “If we go right back to the very beginning – when everything was black and white and there were horses and carts everywhere! I got into the industry as an apprentice,” he laughs. At 16, the born and bred Londoner began a four-year apprenticeship in reprographics, learning the craft of retouching and colour management. He stayed with that company for nearly 20 years, climbing the ranks from apprentice to production director.

By the late 2000s, Ian felt the itch for a new challenge, and a few like-minded colleagues agreed it was time to strike out on their own. “We thought maybe we could go off and do something independent — become an alternative to Tag in the independent production market. That’s how Hogarth was born,” he tells me, describing the leap to co-found Hogarth Worldwide in 2008.

Surprisingly, launching in the middle of a recession turned out to be perfect timing. Cost-conscious clients flocked to Hogarth, and within a year ad giant WPP came knocking. Ian spent the next 12 years turning Hogarth into a global content production powerhouse under WPP’s wing. By 2020, he was ready to move on. He spent five years at Tag as head of operations, restructuring the business and helping prepare it for a successful sale to Dentsu. It was a mission completed. 

As soon as Ian heard from ITG’s CEO, Andrew Swinand, his interest was piqued. “Andrew gave me a call and asked if I’d be interested in having a chat about a potential opportunity. It was really interesting just speaking to him — his vision, ideas, and personality,” says Ian​. That phone call turned into a series of chats about ITG’s future.

“There was a real energy, a buzz, a vibe, almost.” He soon found ITG to be a business with momentum and a united, ego-free culture. “Everyone was fully bought into the new vision and there was a strong sense of togetherness on the team​. They’re all decent people. It’s clear to see that Andrew doesn’t hire egos,” he says. There’s a lot about ITG that crackles with that livliness and vigour Ian remembers from Hogarth’s early days – “a group of people pushing forward on a mission; challenging, disrupting, and thinking differently."

Now that he’s on board, Ian’s focus is on elevating and directing ITG’s content production in this time of nonstop demand. Things have shifted quite dramatically since he started out in his career. Brands today must produce mountains of content for an ever-growing array of channels, and Ian understands that pressure. “Everything has changed. You can’t simply blast one “hero” idea everywhere without adaptation. You have to find a way to repurpose content that’s appropriate for the channel that it’s in. Each platform needs a tailored touch to make content truly resonate,” he explains.

“Meeting these challenges means working smarter behind the scenes. I see an opportunity here – figuring out how to bring teams together… and sell our services more effectively as a unified offering. This will ensure that clients get a seamless service,” he says of his mission to connect ITG’s creative, production, and technology groups​.

Part of that mission will be leveraging ITG’s technological edge. The company’s suite of tools really stood out to him and he tells me it’s way ahead of what many competitors currently have. Ian plans to integrate innovations like virtual production and intelligent automation into client work wherever possible. He believes combining both cutting-edge tech and a cohesive team approach will allow ITG to produce content faster and smarter at scale – without sacrificing quality. "I think the connection between Capture, ITG’s main client base, and how we expose more of our services -- particularly technologies like VP and XR -- to those clients is crucial," he tells me. 

Ask Ian about his leadership style, and the answer comes easily. In a word, “Collaborative,” – see, Ian leads by empowering others. "If you bring people into positions, they need to have the autonomy to do their jobs. That’s how I thrive – by having the freedom to get on with what I do. That’s what I’ve seen from Andrew and Sue (Mountford, EMEA CEO) so far as well. It’s very much: 'Go and have a look, see what you think, do what you want to do best – we’re here for support,'” says Ian. “It’s all about trust.”

Rather than micromanage, he prefers to set a clear direction and alignment, then let his team of experts do what they do best. He’s usually happy to remain under the radar, making sure the machine runs smoothly while others shine​. “This role is slightly different in that regard, but what’s important is that the production, operational, and creative teams have someone who supports them and ensures they have a voice within the business.”

It’s a style rooted in support, and one that’s served him well at Hogarth and Tag. But what’s most striking is how perfectly his attitude fits with ITG’s people-first culture – something that even just a couple of weeks in, he’s noticing it all around. “Andrew talks a lot about kindness in leadership, and you can really see that. I’ve only just started, but that message is clearly cascading through the business. I’ve felt the same from the team I’m working with day to day. They believe in the direction they’re heading, and they’re just a really good bunch of people,” he says.

For Ian, this new role is yet another chance to drive change. It’s a challenge he’s embracing wholeheartedly, because it’s the pace of this work that drives him forward. Despite decades in the industry, the thrill of innovation hasn’t faded. “It’s all about looking for the next idea, the next technology, the next advancement. Asking, ‘how can we do this faster?’, ‘Better?’, ‘How do we improve quality?’, and ‘What are the new opportunities?’”

As Ian heads up ITG’s content production, he’s setting out to spot opportunities that others might miss, build bridges where silos once stood, and empower his team to break new ground.