Laura Desmond: The Future of Advertising, AI & Leadership

Laura Desmond joins MENTOR to share the leadership lessons that shaped her journey from rising through the advertising industry to becoming CEO of Smartly and one of the most respected figures in global media and marketing. Having led some of the world’s biggest agency businesses at Publicis Groupe and Starcom MediaVest Group, Laura reflects on the defining moments, risks and reinventions that helped her navigate decades of transformation across advertising, technology and leadership. She explains why great leadership starts with purpose, why the hardest problems always reach the CEO, and how embracing innovation before the rest of the industry became one of the defining themes of her career. Laura also opens up about the realities of operating at the top level — from managing pressure and making high-stakes decisions to balancing ambition, culture and human connection in an increasingly digital world. The conversation explores the future of advertising in the age of AI, the shift from smart targeting to intelligent creative, and why trust, storytelling and collaboration still matter more than ever. Honest, insightful and full of practical wisdom, this is a conversation about leadership, reinvention, technology and building winning teams in times of constant change. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Episoder(34)

Vivian Mohr: Why Great Leaders Need Clarity, Courage & Humility

Vivian Mohr is Chief Operating Officer of Bauer Media Group, one of Europe’s largest media businesses, operating across radio, publishing, digital platforms and outdoor advertising. Before joining Bau...

24 Jun 51min

Mark Howe: 17 Years at Google, Leadership Lessons & Why Authenticity Wins

Mark Howe spent 17 years at Google helping agencies and brands navigate one of the biggest transformations in media history. Before that, he built a successful career across television, media sales an...

17 Jun 1h 7min

Judith Salison OBE: Mentorship, Resilience & Building a Career That Lasts

Judith Salison OBE joins MENTOR to share the lessons, leadership principles and career wisdom gained from more than five decades at the forefront of the advertising and media industry. From becoming o...

10 Jun 59min

Richard Eyre: Leadership, Reinvention & The Decisions That Shape a Career

Richard Eyre CBE joins MENTOR to share the leadership lessons, career decisions and hard-won wisdom that shaped a remarkable journey across advertising, broadcasting, television and digital media. Fro...

3 Jun 1h 3min

Piers North: Why Journalism Still Matters in the AI Era

Piers North joins MENTOR to share the leadership lessons that shaped his journey from aspiring journalist to CEO of Reach PLC, the UK’s largest commercial news publisher. Having started his career in ...

20 Mai 53min

Kerry Glazer OBE on Reinventing Leadership & Changing the Industry From Within

Kerry Glazer joins MENTOR to share the leadership lessons that shaped her extraordinary journey from NHS nurse to one of the most respected figures in the UK advertising industry. Former CEO of AAR an...

13 Mai 59min

Alessandra Bellini OBE: What Tesco Taught Me About Leadership

Alessandra Bellini joins MENTOR to share what it really takes to lead through constant change at some of the world’s biggest consumer brands. From starting as an advertising apprentice in Italy to lea...

6 Mai 57min