Fearless Creative Leadership
Business & Finance
About
We talk to leaders of the world's most disruptive companies about how they are jumping into the fire, crossing the chasm and blowing up the status quo. Leaders who've mastered the art of turning the impossible into the profitable.
Episodes
- Ep 291: Erin Riley of TBWA - "The Honorable Leader"
Do you know what you're doing — and why you're doing it? In this episode of Fearless Creative Leadership , Charles Day speaks with Erin Riley, CEO of TBWA , about leadership in an industry undergoing profound change. As consolidation resha…
- Ep 290: Amy Martin Ziegenfuss of Carnival Cruise Line - "The 'Rise Together' Leader"
Does someone else have to lose for you to win? In this episode of Fearless Creative Leadership , Charles Day speaks with Amy Martin-Ziegenfuss, Chief Marketing Officer of Carnival Cruise Line , about redefining success — and rejecting the…
- Ep 289: Rocky Novak & Brad Surcey of Zeus Jones - "The Curious & Courageous Leaders"
What does courage actually look like in leadership? In this episode of Fearless Creative Leadership , Charles Day speaks with Rocky Novak and Brad Surcey, co-CEOs of Zeus Jones , about partnership, independence, and leading through uncerta…
- Ep 288: Cat van der Werff of Canva - "The Freedom Leader"
How much freedom do you give your people? In this episode of Fearless Creative Leadership , Charles Day speaks with Cat van der Werff, Executive Creative Director of Canva , about the paradox at the heart of modern leadership: setting clea…
- Ep 287: Aaron Starkman of Rethink - "The Buttoned Down Leader"
What kind of box are you building for your people? In this episode of Fearless Creative Leadership , Charles Day sits down with Aaron Starkman, Chief Creative Officer of Rethink and one of Adweek's 100 Most Creative People in the World. Bu…
- Ep 286: Andrés Ordóñez of McCann - "The Impactful Leader"
What impact are you having? In this episode of Fearless Creative Leadership , Charles Day speaks with Andrés Ordóñez, newly appointed Global Chief Creative Officer of McCann. When this conversation was recorded, Andrés didn't yet know his…
- Ep 285: Ace of Hearts - "The Alive Leaders"
How alive do you feel as a leader? In this episode of Fearless Creative Leadership , Charles Day sits down in London with the newly announced founders of Ace of Hearts — Rick Brim, Martin Beverly, and Polly McMorrow — for their first recor…
- Ep 284: Patricia Corsi of Kimberly-Clark - "The 'Make Mistakes' Leader"
How do you react when people make mistakes? Patricia Corsi is the Chief Growth Officer of Kimberly-Clark . Patricia has been named one of the Top 50 Most Influential CMOs of the World by Forbes in 2024 and 2025. She has very clear beliefs…
- Ep 283: David Rolfe of WPP - "The Producer"
Are you creating trust? David Rolfe is the Head of Production at WPP . When David and I debated last year, whether one person could someday make a Super Bowl ad, it felt like a provocation. This year, we both agreed it's an inevitability.…
- Ep 282: Phil Thomas of Informa Festivals - "The Connector"
How connected do your people feel? Phil Thomas is the Chief Creative Officer of Informa Festivals . They're the company that owns Cannes Lions. And Phil has recently been named as Chairman of Comic Relief. One of the things that I've learn…
- Ep 281: Neil Waller of Whalar Group - "The 'This' Leader"
What's the 'this' in your business? Neil Waller is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Whalar Group . They're a global creator company. Whalar have done as much as anyone, and more than most, to catalyze the creator economy. And as you'll hear, i…
- Ep 280: Jill Cress of H&R Block - "The Invested Leader"
Jill Cress is the Chief Marketing and Experience Officer for H&R Block . She also serves on the board of the AdCouncil, and she's been recognized on Forbes' list of the World's 50 Most Influential CMOs. Before H&R Block, Jill spent 20 year…
- Ep 279: Lisa Fischer - "The Background Leader"
When do you stop and take a breath? If you've listened to Luther Vandross or Tina Turner, or Sting, or Chaka Khan, or Teddy Pendergrass, or Roberta Flack, then you've heard Lisa Fischer sing. If you went to a Rolling Stones concert between…
- Ep 278: Shu Hung of AKQA - "The Quiet Leader"
Do you welcome the sounds of silence? Shu Hung is the Global Chief Creative Officer of AKQA . In a complicated world, Shu has learned that knowing who you are is the foundation on which leadership success is built. Please come as you are.…
- Ep 277: Nicole Parlapiano of Tubi - "The Open Communicator"
What should we expect from you? Nicole Parlapiano is the Chief Marketing Officer at Tubi . When she arrived two and a half years ago, Tubi was an eight year old business that had no brand recognition. Today, with the help of their ad agenc…
- Ep 276: Sir Andrew Strauss - "The Captain"
Sir Andrew Strauss is the former Captain of the England cricket team which he led to become the number one team in the world for the first time in England's history. He then became England's Director of Cricket and he's recognized as the a…
- Ep 275: Jim Stengel - "The Intentioned Leader"
Who do you trust? Jim Stengel is the former CMO of P&G, and he's now a hugely successful author, speaker, coach, consultant, and advisor. He's also the host of the brilliant CMO Podcast. In our conversation, Jim and I started to lay the fr…
- Ep 274: How Will The Best Leaders Lead In 2025?
Welcome to the first episode of 2025. A year that promises to be unlike any other on so many levels. This episode is designed as a provocation, an inspiration, and a roadmap for the leaders of businesses, for whom unlocking creative thinki…
- Ep 273: Karl Lieberman of Wieden + Kennedy - "The Non-Conformer"
What does your company reject? Karl Lieberman is the Global Chief Creative Officer of Wieden + Kennedy . Wieden is a reference point among creative companies in many industries. For almost 45 years, they'd been impacting culture and drivin…
- Ep 272: Lina Polimeni of Eli Lilly and Company - "The Big Dreams Leader"
What are you willing to compromise? Lina Polimeni is the Chief Corporate Brand Officer at Eli Lilly and Company . This is a business whose work is often the difference between life and death, where they are trying to cure cancer, and where…
- Ep 272: Lina Polimeni - In 23
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. What are you willing to compromise? Lina Polimeni is the Chief Corporate Brand Officer at Eli Lilly and Company . This is a business whose work is often the difference between life and dea…
- Ep 271: Kerry Sulkowicz of Boswell Group - "The Psychoanalyst"
Are you centered? Kerry Sulkowicz is the Past-President of the American Psychoanalytic Association, and the Founder and Managing Principal of Boswell Group . They provide leadership advice to boards and CEOs. Kerry and I have been friends…
- Ep 271: Kerry Sulkowicz - In 21
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. Are you centered? Kerry Sulkowicz is the Past-President of the American Psychoanalytic Association, and the Founder and Managing Principal of Boswell Group . They provide leadership advice…
- Ep 270: Taban Shoresh of The Lotus Flower - "The Refugee"
What is your pain for? Taban Shoresh is the Founder of The Lotus Flower , a UK-based charity that supports women and girls that have been displaced by conflict, and helps them to build sustainable futures. Since 2016, the charity's project…
- Ep 270: Taban Shoresh - In 24
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. What is your pain for? Taban Shoresh is the Founder of The Lotus Flower , a UK-based charity that supports women and girls that have been displaced by conflict, and helps them to build sus…
- Ep 269: Heather Freeland of Adobe - "The 'Is That Good?' Leader"
Is that good? Heather Freeland is the Chief Brand Officer at Adobe , a business that, as Heather describes, is undergoing significant change to prepare itself for the future to come, and the one that is already here. In a company long know…
- Ep 269: Heather Freeland - In 25
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. Is that good? Heather Freeland is the Chief Brand Officer at Adobe , a business that, as Heather describes, is undergoing significant change to prepare itself for the future to come, and t…
- Ep 268: Gabriel Schmitt of Grey - "The Rhyme and Reason Leader"
Why are you doing what you're doing? Gabriel Schmitt has just celebrated his one year anniversary as the Global CCO of Grey . Grey's proposition is that they have been coming up with famously effective ideas since 1917. Gabriel is somewhat…
- Ep 268: Gabriel Schmitt - In 22
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. Why are you doing what you're doing? Gabriel Schmitt has just celebrated his one year anniversary as the Global CCO of Grey . Grey's proposition is that they have been coming up with famou…
- Ep 267: Lisa Smith of JKR - "The Contagious Leader"
How well do you know yourself? Lisa Smith is the Global Executive Creative Director at JKR . Fast Company have called her a visionary designer, citing in particular her work for Burger King, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Chobani…
- Ep 267: Lisa Smith - In 27
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. How well do you know yourself? Lisa Smith is the Global Executive Creative Director at JKR . Fast Company have called her a visionary designer, citing in particular her work for Burger Kin…
- Ep 266: Lucy Jameson, Natalie Graeme, Nils Leonard of Uncommon - "The Uncommon Founders"
Which direction are you going? Nils Leonard, one of the co-founders of Uncommon - the award winning global creative studio - has been a regular guest on this show since I started Fearless seven years ago. In all of that time, I've wondered…
- Ep 266: Lucy Jameson, Natalie Graeme, Nils Leonard - In 24
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. Which direction are you going? Nils Leonard, one of the co-founders of Uncommon - the award winning global creative studio - has been a regular guest on this show since I started Fearless…
- Ep 265: Jon Cook of VML - "The Second Chance Leader"
What lessons have you learned? This episode features the return visit of Jon Cook, the Global CEO of VML . I interviewed Jon for the first time a year ago, eight months after he had died while going for a run in his neighborhood. Today, he…
- Ep 264: An AI Thesis - "The Creative Industries and AI - Wrap"
What will be the impact of AI on the creative industries, and how can we meet this moment? This is the final episode of my series of interviews over the last few weeks leading up to and through the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. It o…
- Ep 263: David Rolfe of WPP - "The Creative Industries and AI - Part 10"
Where does ideation end and production begin? This episode is part of a series of conversations I've been having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. Over the last few weeks, I've been focusing my study of leadership…
- Ep 262: Adam Tucker of WPP - "The Creative Industries and AI - Part 9"
Does your AI do what you need it to do? This episode is part of a series of conversations I've been having in partnership with the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Over the last few weeks, I've been focusing my study of leadership thro…
- Ep 261: John Hegarty of Bartle Bogle Hegarty - "The Creative Industries and AI - Part 8"
Are you willing to dare? This episode is the last in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes and during Cannes, we focused our study of leader…
- Ep 261: John Hegarty - In 19
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. Are you willing to dare? This episode is the last in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Canne…
- Ep 260: Tiffany Rolfe of R/GA - "The Creative Industries and AI - Part 7"
What is it? This episode is the seventh in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes, we're focusing our study of leadership through a single le…
- Ep 260: Tiffany Rolfe - In 20
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. What is it? This episode is the seventh in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes, we're f…
- Ep 260: Tiffany Rolfe - In 10
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. What is it? This episode is the seventh in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes, we're f…
- Ep 259: Jamie Gutfreund of Creator Vision - "The Creative Industries and AI - Part 6"
What do the artists think? This episode is the sixth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes, we're focusing our study of leadership throug…
- Ep 259: Jamie Gutfreund - In 20
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. What do the artists think? This episode is the sixth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Ca…
- Ep 259: Jamie Gutfreund - In 10
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. What do the artists think? This episode is the sixth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Ca…
- Ep 258: Nils Leonard of Uncommon - "The Creative Industries and AI - Part 5"
What are you fed by? This episode is the fifth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes, we're focusing our study of leadership through a si…
- Ep 258: Nils Leonard - In 20
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. What are you fed by? This episode is the fifth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes,…
- Ep 258: Nils Leonard - In 10
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. What are you fed by? This episode is the fifth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lion Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes,…
- Ep 257: Yasu Sasaki of Dentsu - "The Creative Industries and AI - Part 4"
Are you aiming high enough? This episode is the fourth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to Cannes, we're focusing on a study of leadership th…
- Ep 257: Yasu Sasaki - In 20
Edited highlights of our full length conversation. Are you aiming high enough? This episode is the fourth in a series of conversations that I'm having in partnership with the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. For the weeks leading up to…