Show Notes
In this episode I am talking to Niki Garner, Director of ITV Creative, where she leads the creative vision for one of the UK’s most iconic broadcasters, and is responsible for all creative output from concept to execution across all ITV’s media channels. With over two decades of experience in advertising and creative leadership, Niki is known for her ability to deliver standout campaigns and inspire high-performing teams. Before joining ITV in 2022, Niki spent over 12 years at Mother, leading major accounts for brands like Diageo (including Baileys, J&B, Pimm’s, Tanqueray), Hovis, and Unilever’s PG Tips. Her earlier career included senior roles at agencies such as Libertine and Beechwood, working with clients including Butlins, Superdrug, and Matalan and a short stint at BMF in Sydney, on the Aldi account. Niki’s collaborative leadership style and passion for creative excellence have made her a respected figure in the industry, consistently delivering campaigns that resonate with audiences and drive brand growth. --- Download our Inside Out® Pathway - A guide to in-house creative leadership development and growth. The Inside Out Pathway is a starting point for in-house creative leaders to be able to navigate themselves and their teams to get creativity closer to the C-Suite. https://theinsideout.community/resources/the-inside-out-pathway
More from The Future of In-House Creative Leadership
This time I'm joined by Dave Brown, Vice President of Creative & Brand at Ethos. Dave is one of those rare creative leaders who has built brands from both sides of the table - founding his own creative agency, Holiday Matinee, and co-founding independent record label Better Looking Records, before stepping into creative leadership roles at some of the world's most recognised companies, including Etsy, Edelman, Microsoft, Amazon, Square and most recently Vimeo. Rooted in a DIY punk-rock ethos and a Sociology degree from Ithaca College, Dave leads with what he calls 'maker energy and executive perspective' - equally energised by directing the work as by setting the vision and coaching teams. He's also a published author, filmmaker, and investor in the beloved Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club in Brooklyn.
This time, I’m joined by Greg Logan, founder of Narrativity and author of Creating a Blockbuster Brand. Greg has had one of those careers that's genuinely difficult to put in a box. He started in advertising, became creative director of Leo Burnett Milan at 25, went on to win a Cannes Lion for advertising, a MIPFormats award for television, and a Crystal Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. For over 30 years the world's biggest brands - Adobe, Google, Virgin, Qantas, Diageo, Forbes - have turned to him to build stronger stories. In 2019 he brought all of that together and founded Narrativity, a consultancy that uses Hollywood's proven storytelling formulas to help brands connect, cut through, and grow. And he's just released his book, Creating a Blockbuster Brand. Storytelling is even more important than ever so I am really pleased to have Greg join me to look at storytelling for brands but also storytelling for you to have more creative influence.
This time I'm joined by Kerry Matto, Global Creative Studio Ops Manager at Just Eat. Kerry leads the global in-house creative studio across London, Amsterdam, and vrot-swaaf (Wroclaw) - a team handling around 2,000 briefs a year across brand campaigns, BAU, local market adaptations, and everything in between. With a background spanning fashion, animation, and creative production, and previous stints at Dr. Martens, Ted Baker, and Liberty, Kerry brings a deeply operational lens to in-house creative leadership: how you build the systems, governance, and team culture that let great work happen consistently at scale. Kerry and her team are taking the lead with the implementation of AI so I wanted to get her on the podcast to hear all about that too.
This time I'm joined by Steve Peck, VP of Creative at Comcast. Steve has spent over 20 years building brands people love - from his early days at R/GA on Nike, to BBH New York where he created Google's first-ever national TV campaign, including the 'Dear Sophie' spot named Time Magazine's number-one commercial of the year. He went on to lead creative at agencies including Anomaly, consult in-house at Apple, Meta, and Spotify, and most recently led Pinterest's award-winning House of Creative - a 50-plus-person in-house agency - before taking on his current role building Comcast's in-house creative agency from the ground up.
This time I'm joined by Lara Vandenberg, Founder and CEO at Assemble. Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Lara moved to New York and spent a decade leading marketing and communications at some of the world's fastest-growing tech companies. Named to both the Forbes 30 Under 30 and B&T 30 Under 30 lists for innovation in advertising, she went on to found Assemble: an enterprise platform and marketplace of over 50,000 creative, production and marketing professionals that helps Fortune 500 brands operationalise their entire contingent workforce.