In Conversation with Britt Nolan and Liz Taylor, Co-Presidents of Leo Burnett Chicago
Leo Burnett announced earlier this week that Liz Taylor, formerly managing director at TBWA\Media Arts Lab London, was joining its Chicago office as co-president and chief operating officer. According to a press release from Leo Burnett, Liz's appointment "is a result of increased momentum, signalling new levels of growth for the iconic agency".
At TBWA\Media Arts Lab, Liz spearheaded campaigns for Apple across Europe and the Middle East. She also held the position of executive director of the global iPhone business.
Her fellow co-president at Leo Burnett Chicago will be Britt Nolan, the agency's chief creative officer, who returned to the Publicis Groupe agency in July 2021 after a stint as DDB's North America CCO.
To find out more about their plans for Leo Burnett, the relationship between operations and creative, and how they plan to work together, LBB's Addison Capper chatted with Liz and Britt.
LBB> Liz, what is it about this opportunity that has tempted you to join Leo Burnett?
Liz> On a professional level, it’s pretty simple - the chance to build on Leo Burnett’s momentum with our clients and use my experience to continue the upward trajectory of an iconic agency. From that perspective, it’s a no-brainer. I’m on a mission to prove there’s a better way to approach this industry, and Leo Burnett’s values and philosophies (HumanKind, The Four C’s, etc.) are very much aligned with my own beliefs regarding how to evolve marketing into a force for good.
On a personal level, Publicis Groupe’s commitment to supporting employees with cancer/reduce the associated stigma via their ‘Working with Cancer’ initiative resonates with me deeply as I have a form of leukaemia called CML. It’s, thankfully, a very treatable form of cancer, and I’m in early remission, but to work for a company where I can be honest about where I am physically on any given day, knowing I have the full support of people around me, is a gift beyond measure.
LBB> And Britt, Leo Burnett Chicago has been on a bit of a run of form recently with more than a dozen new business wins. Can you tell us more about that and what you think has driven it?
Britt> I don’t love to go on bragging about how great we are, so I’ll just humbly say that we’ve won some awards, we’ve picked up some new clients, and we’ve hired some awesome people. All of those things are really energising for the agency. We’re having fun over here.
In a word, it’s momentum. Good things beget good things. And I think we’ve been doing a good job of feeding the virtuous cycle.
At the end of the day, the only secret sauce is talent. But of course, that’s connected to everything. When the business is healthy, you’re able to take care of your people and grow your team. When you’re nurturing your talent, you’re more likely to do great work. When you do great work, you attract more talent. And when people feel like they’re part of a winning team, building culture becomes much easier. Really, we’re just trying to keep that going.
LBB> That momentum does actually mean that more work needs to be done. Liz, how does that impact your responsibilities in terms of operations?
Liz> I suppose the benefit to being COO is that you work across the agency. So even as new pieces of business come in, you’re simultaneously finding solutions that work for the agency as a whole. So the net benefit outpaces the individual influx. It’s not like Tetris where each time a new piece of business comes in, you have to find the exact right spot and if you don’t, things start to jumble. If I continue that analogy, Britt and I are focused on removing entire bottom layers to make room at the top so there’s always plenty of space for new pieces.
LBB> In your role as COO, what are your main aims and ambitions?
Liz> Reducing drag is always my main goal when it comes to operations, which can manifest in a multitude of ways. I want to help identify opportunities to work more effectively so people aren’t stretched too thin or, worse, burned out. Another is creating psychologically safe environments where employees aren’t spending unnecessary energy code-switching or suppressing thoughts and ideas. Evaluating workflows for opportunities to make the work better, faster. Collaborating with production partners to develop more efficient go-to-market strategies. I’m constantly looking for anything I can do to help us eliminate those things that add up - whether it’s bigger structural changes or smaller tweaks.
LBB> Why was now the right time to bring someone on board to lead operations?
Britt> Actually, Liz’s role is much more than operations. She’s really my partner in leading the whole agency, with an emphasis on operations. In recent years, Andrew Swinand’s role has expanded beyond CEO of Leo Burnett to taking on responsibility for the entire Publicis Creative & Production pillar in North America. Over time, it’s opened an opportunity to bring on a partner who could be dedicated to the business of Leo Burnett. We weren’t in any hurry to find that person, but when we met Liz, we knew she was the missing piece of the puzzle.
LBB> I feel like the role of a president differs from agency to agency. How do you see it, additionally and complementary to your roles of CCO and COO?
Liz> It was important to both Britt and me that the agency and our clients knew we were in this together, hence the co-president structure. We both recognise one doesn’t succeed without the other. He and I had long discussions before I accepted this role about our vision for the agency to ensure we had the same goals in mind, and we’ve so far been in total lockstep with each other. We also have a mutual respect for each other’s creative tastes AND business acumen, which is pretty rare in this industry. He’s a CCO who cares deeply about the business, and I’m a COO who cares deeply about the creative product. And crucially, neither of us is too precious about any of it… we just want what’s best for all involved. Obviously I’m biased, but I think it’s a pretty ideal formula.
Britt> Most CCOs are narrowly focused on crafting the work and winning awards. But there are so many other aspects of the business that directly or indirectly affect our creative product. I don’t know what it’s like in other places but around here, the president title comes with the responsibility of driving the overall strategy of the agency and creating cohesion across departments. This is important to me, because at this point in my career, I don’t just want to do great creative work, I want to build a great creative company. With Liz here, it’s not only going to massively accelerate everything we’re trying to do, but I also have a lot to learn from her.
LBB> What are your thoughts on the relationship between operations and creativity when it comes to the quality of an agency's output?
Liz> It’s like any creative industry, I suppose. The creatives can have brilliant ideas, but it’s up to the systems around them to ensure they get out in the world, resonate with consumers, and impact our clients’ business. As a new Chicagoan, I just finished season two of ‘The Bear’, and that’s a beautiful example of the marriage between creativity and operations. Chefs, no matter how well-trained or talented, can’t create Michelin-starred restaurants without quality ingredients, lightning-fast expo and a tight, proactive front of house. I’m fortunate to have worked at some of the most award-winning agencies in the business and learned a multitude of different ways to get to exceptional work that delivers. And now I have an opportunity to work with Britt and put those lessons to use here at Leo Burnett.
LBB> What is coming up during the rest of the year for Leo Burnett Chicago?
Britt> I can’t wait to find out! The most exciting thing for me right now is how many clients we have who truly want our best work. Liz and I will be focused on creating space for our best thinking and making sure we deliver. That’s not complicated, it’s just hard.
LBB> Any parting thoughts?
Britt> Great partnerships are ones where you both feel like the other is just a little bit out of your league. Liz and I are both in that space right now, which makes me really excited about what’s to come.
Liz> Liz Taylor is a surprisingly common name.
