The Future of In-House Creative Leadership – Details, episodes & analysis

Adam Morgan is an Executive Brand and Creative Leader with experience in creativity, strategy, and storytelling for 27 years. In 2020, AdWeek named him one of the “Creative 100”—the top inspiring creative minds in marketing, media, and culture—in the world. He’s the author of the book, “Sorry Spock, Emotion Drives Business,” that proves the value of creativity and design with hard science. He’s a keynote speaker at conferences and events on the topics of creative leadership and content creation. And the host of the video podcast, Real Creative Leadership, that offers inspiration and guidance on the day-to-day job of being a creative leader. 

Currently he is the Senior Director of Brand and Creative at Splunk—leading brand strategy and campaigns as well as all creative content and design systems. Before Splunk he was an Executive Creative Director at Adobe for eight years, and an ECD and CD at several international ad agencies, delivering award-winning advertising and campaigns. He was named a 40 under 40 business leader by Utah Business Magazine, and Utah Ad Professional of the Year in 2014. And he’s one of the few creative leaders to have a master’s degree in marketing strategy from Northwestern. To read one of his articles on data-driven creativity, you can visit his magazine “The Creative Machine” on Medium. Or learn more about his book and speaking topics at adamWmorgan.com.

---

In our 2024 report we outlined why I believe we are in the beginnings of a fourth wave of in-housing creativity.

Download the report for FREE here:

https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form

Arjen Klinkenberg is the Creative Director and Brand Guru at Tony's Chocolonely and a member of the Inside Out® Community.

With a background in magazine art direction, Klink (as he likes to be known) was not a likely candidate to design the wrapper and build the brand for Tony's Chocolonely, the chocolate bar-with-a-mission. Which is maybe why it turned out as different and disruptive as it has.

Nearly 20 years later he is still the creative director and brand guru of Tony's, and still hooked on its brand, mission – and the chocolate!

---

In our 2024 report we outlined why I believe we are in the beginnings of a fourth wave of in-housing creativity.

Download the report for FREE here:

https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form

Matthew O Brien is the Executive Creative Director over at Three Mobile and a member of the Inside Out® Community.

A multi-award winning Creative, Executive Creative Director and Creative Leader. Matt has had a varied career working agency side at Iris and VCCP, he took the in-house role at Three over three years ago and in this conversation we talk about the team’s transformation journey and how building relationships are at the core of his success.  

---

In our 2024 report we outlined why I believe we are in the beginnings of a fourth wave of in-housing creativity. Download the report for FREE here https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form

Welcome to The Future of In-House Creative Leadership, a podcast brought to you by the Inside Out® Community – the professional home for in-house creative leaders across the UK and EMEA.

I’m Emma Sexton, the founder of Inside Out® which is the world’s first independent community for ambitious in-house creative leaders. Our only agenda? to get our members into the highest levels of influence and persuasion within their brands.

I won’t be the first person to tell you that design and creativity should be at board level. It’s a topic which has come up continually, yet never seems to gain lasting traction. But I might be one of the very few people to tell you that the shifts currently taking place in business, brand and technology will move in-house creative leaders into a prime position to successfully operate at board level, once and for all.

The world has shifted tectonically. Businesses now compete on a global stage, and with that, brand is now their only differentiator – a sum of emotions from every customer interaction. How do we create emotions? With design and creativity. So, who is going to be the guardian of that creativity? It really can only be an in-house creative leader. 

So join me as I speak to our community members, award winners, advisors and industry experts on how we can elevate the role of in-house creativity to the highest levels of business – the C-Suite.

-------

Download our full report on the Future of In-House Creative Leadership for FREE here > https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form

------

To find out more about the Inside Out Community and our membership and awards programs head to www.theinsideout.community

//

Follow our LinkedIn page for regular updates – https://www.linkedin.com/company/insideoutcommunity//

Sian Finnis is the Senior Director, of the Marketing Studio over at King, the gaming company who brought us Candy Crush and a member of the Inside Out® Community.

Sian is a dynamic and visionary leader with extensive experience in brand strategy, design, and creative operations. With a rich background in leading high-performing teams and a passion for fostering creative growth.

Sian brings a wealth of knowledge and insights into the evolving landscape of in-house creative leadership.

---

In our 2024 report we outlined why I believe we are in the beginnings of a fourth wave of in-housing creativity.

Download the report for FREE here:

https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form

This time I am joined by Gillian Davis, published author, advisor, and speaker on progressive leadership practices, and one of Inside Out® Community Advisors we have onboard to support our members with their leadership challenges.

Gillian specialises in leadership transformation in the modern workplace and has worked with Design Leadership Teams at companies like Spotify, Typeform, and WeTransfer.

Dubbed the “architect of the unseen” by her clients, Gillian loves to troubleshoot and get things unstuck by teasing out and solving the organisational and leadership pain points that come with scaling businesses and teams.

Gillian founded OverTime Leader in 2017 to work with ambitious leaders at growth companies to drive change and fast paced transformation. OverTime Leader drives client growth through organisational strategy, high performing and aligned teams, and leadership programs. 

Gillian’s clients have included : MessageBird, Typeform, Spotify, Wetransfer, Google, TomTom, TaskRabbit, Hutch Games, TreesPlease, BenevolentAI, Pinterest, Bitmovin, Sylvera, Valeo, Omnicom Media Group, Beyond, Wavemaker, etc

---

In our 2024 report we outlined why I believe we are in the beginnings of a fourth wave of in-housing creativity.

Download the report for FREE here:

https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form

Giorgio Giussani is the ex Creative Director at Rovio, whose innovative spirit has brightened some of the world's favourite brands, including LEGO, Candy Crush, and Angry Birds, and a member of the Inside Out® Community.

With 20 years in the creative field, Giorgio's not just about ideas; he's a storytelling maestro, weaving inclusivity and human insight into campaigns that speak to all. A passionate advocate for Diversity & Inclusion, Giorgio champions a leadership style that's both daring and serving, powered by the conviction that kindness fuels growth and high-performing teams. When he's not redefining creativity, Giorgio loves exploring the world, having visited 97 countries and counting!

---

In our 2024 report we outlined why I believe we are in the beginnings of a fourth wave of in-housing creativity.

Download the report for FREE here:

https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form

Kevin Frank is one of our Inside Out® Community Advisors and now an independent creative leader. Most recently, he was Executive Creative Director of LinkedIn, where his team was named Advertising Age In-House Agency of the Year and he was named to Campaign’s 40 over 40 list.

Prior to Linkedin, he was a Creative Director at Apple and held creative positions in agencies, including being the first copywriter at Venables, Bell and Partners.

Kevin has shared his thoughts on creative leadership in forums including Muse By Clio, Advertising Age, and Real Creative Leadership, and his work has been recognised by every major awards show, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, D&AD, Communication Arts, and the Effies.

---

In our 2024 report we outlined why I believe we are in the beginnings of a fourth wave of in-housing creativity.

Download the report for FREE here:

https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form

Graham Daldry was the founder of Specsavers Creative, which became one of the UK’s largest and best known in-house agencies under his leadership. He was also the inventor of ’Should’ve gone to Specsavers’, and as Creative Director was responsible for all Specsavers advertising from 1999 to 2020. Unsurprisingly, he believes strongly in the power of well crafted words, whether in the form of a traditional line or, as is currently often the case, in the brand name itself.

---

In our 2024 report we outlined why I believe we are in the beginnings of a fourth wave of in-housing creativity.

Download the report for FREE here:

https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form

Matt Richmond is the Global Creative Director at Avon and a member of the Inside Out® Community. With over 25-years experience Matt has been leading top-tier creative teams and crafting purposeful brand transformations that win awards and capture hearts. From advertising and brand design to digital content, he's done it all. Now he is on a quest to redefine Avon's global brand presence. Previously Matt was at Boden, and John Lewis where he pioneered their ANYDAY brand.

---

In our 2024 report we outlined why I believe we are in the beginnings of a fourth wave of in-housing creativity.

Download the report for FREE here:

https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-future-of-in-house-creative-leadership/#resource-form