In an AI World, the Real Intelligence Is Human Trust

At a recent team dinner, one of Heather’s new ITG colleagues said they would “run through a brick wall” for a teammate. Telling this story, Heather is smiling. “Honestly, that’s the biggest compliment you can get,” she says. “If someone is willing to do that for you, it’s probably because you’ve done the same for them.”

Heather Collins is the new president, America's, of Inspired Thinking Group, and under her guidance, the company is doubling down on a unique offering of innovative content solutions and genuine, human-centric values. While the industry can sometimes feel distant and cutthroat, ITG’s reputation has become that of a true partner, one that will have your back – the sort of collaborative ally that is helping clients make it through the chaos.

It’s a role that Heather is embracing with open arms. “Creating strong partnerships with our clients is key. ITG already has great partnerships – it’s in the DNA,” she says. “It’s also about sitting down and workshopping solutions, ensuring we’re all on a journey together. It’s not just about solving a problem in the here and now, but building on that for the future.”

Brick by Brick

Heather’s partnership mindset has been built brick by brick over a career spanning both client-side and agency roles. She’s been a brand manager, a client services director, and now, president. That breadth of experience shapes every decision she makes. “The biggest thing is putting yourself in the client’s shoes – you have to understand where they’re coming from,” she explains.

Having worked on the client side of the table for years, Heather knows exactly what it's like to be in their position, and she leverages that empathy to build stronger relationships. It’s not about selling a service or product and walking away, it’s about, as she puts it, working shoulder-to-shoulder with clients.

In fact, Heather refuses to treat challenges as the client’s problem alone. “When you’re sitting down with a client, it’s about saying: Here’s what the change looks like on your end, and here’s what it looks like on ours.” In other words, both sides have skin in the game. Or, as Heather describes her approach to any big change, “the expectation isn’t that we have all the answers upfront. Instead, it’s about being in this innovative space together, locking arms, and being honest with each other as we figure it out.”

Locking Arms

It helps that Heather thrives in uncharted territory. She lights up when talking about tackling new problems and exploring new ideas alongside her team and clients. “I get excited about not having the answer, but surrounding myself with really fun, smart people, who are just as driven as I am to collaborate and learn.” This kind of curiosity and openness has become a hallmark of ITG’s culture. “It’s not just about doing something that isn’t being done in a lot of places – pioneering something – but also about doing it as a team,” she tells me. The journey, for Heather, is as important as the destination.

One of the toughest challenges marketing teams are facing today is of course the sheer explosion of content needs. Brands are expected to produce more content, for more channels, faster than ever – all without diluting their core creative ideas. Heather sees this content deluge as an opportunity. “Content is at the heart of this. It has the potential to be a competitive advantage rather than a burden if harnessed correctly.” And harnessing it correctly is exactly what ITG does.

The company has become a leader in Halo content – an approach that builds a ring of agile, tailored content around a big, central creative idea (the ‘hero’ content). In practice, that means ITG helps clients take a brilliant campaign concept and spin out all the adaptations and versions needed for different platforms – without losing the heart of the idea. It’s a strategy that marries creative and craft with serious operational, AI-enabled savvy.  Heather calls it “an industry breakthrough approach to content.”

Letting Tech Do the Heavy Lifting 

Talk to Heather about content production, and you’d hear equal enthusiasm for the creative vision as for the tech that enables it. She is quick to point out that freeing up creatives from tedious production tasks is the key to unlocking great work. “The biggest thing is taking the doing out of the creative process and automating it where possible. That allows space for the real creative inspiration and thinking to thrive,” she says. Let machines and software handle the repetitive stuff, so that humans can focus on the magic that only humans can conjure up.

ITG has invested heavily in tech to make this a reality for clients. And Heather isn’t about automating for automation's sake – it’s always in service of the idea. “At the end of the day, no matter how much we automate, the idea still has to come from a human truth – something that emotionally connects with people,” she says.

Heather explains that in the past, marketers were forced to break campaigns into a series of linear steps and versions, often fracturing the big idea along the way. Now, with tech and smarter processes, ITG keeps the big idea at the centre and rapidly creates the supporting halo content around it for every channel and audience. “We can go straight to the core question – ‘who am I really trying to speak to?’ - And build from there,” she tells me. “AI allows us to remove waste and inefficiencies while keeping the idea at the core. I think that will have a huge impact.” It’s a method that lets brands maintain consistency and emotional impact, even as they produce content on a dizzying scale. By embracing these innovations, Heather and her team are creating a new space where efficiency and creativity aren’t at odds, but in balance.

Behind all these ideas though, is a very old-fashioned principle.

That is, people come first. Spend any amount of time with Heather and you’ll notice how often she talks about relationships and trust. Success for Heather isn’t measured in short-term KPIs or industry awards (of which she’s won many) – but in the bonds she builds.

“That people want to work with you. That they trust you. That they wish to follow you,” she says when I ask her how she gauges her own impact as a leader. “The honour of someone wanting to work with you over and over again – that’s it. That’s a blessing.” Heather is leading by earning, through hard graft, loyalty. Whether that’s a client choosing to extend a partnership year after year, or a colleague willing to join her in untangling a new challenge.

That’s how Heather is stepping forward with her team and for her clients – with heart, with vision, and always, together.