Best Brian Wieser And Olivia Morley Podcasts (2025)

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#49: Steve and Robin Boehler — on the Omnicom–IPG deal and what it means for agencies 29:43

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1h ago29:43

29:43

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Olivia and Brian talk with Steve and Robin Boehler of Mercer Island Group as the industry absorbs one of the most disruptive weeks in recent holding company history. The Bowlers break down Omnicom’s restructuring, including the abrupt shuttering of several legacy creative agencies, and explain why decades of d…

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#48: Independent at scale: the Tombras playbook with Dooley Tombras 42:00

11d ago42:00

42:00

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Olivia and Brian talk with Tombras president Dooley Tombras, who leads one of the industry’s few scaled, family-owned independent agencies. Dooley explains why Tombras built its full-service model by zigging against industry convention, how independence enables long-term investment in AI and first-party data, …

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#47: Fixing agency productivity in the age of AI, with Michael Farmer 43:37

22d ago43:37

43:37

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Olivia and Brian sit down with consultant and author Michael Farmer, who has spent three decades diagnosing the economic pressures inside agencies. Farmer explains why agencies still struggle to measure work, how rework distorts staffing needs, and how digital and social accelerated the long-running pattern of…

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#46: Why confidence is a KPI for independent agencies, with Indie Agency News founder Doug Zanger 28:05

25d ago28:05

28:05

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Olivia and Brian record in person for the first time with Doug Zanger, founder of Indie Agency News, a growing platform built to help independent agencies increase visibility and confidence. A former radio producer and trade journalist, Doug shares how his background shaped the creation of Indie Agency News, w…

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#45: How Day One Agency builds trust in the age of influence, with CEO Josh Rosenberg 35:34

1M ago35:34

35:34

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Olivia and Brian interview Josh Rosenberg, co-founder and CEO of Day One Agency, the creative shop founded 11 years ago to bridge the gap between earned media and brand storytelling. With offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, Day One works with clients including American Express, Chipotle, N…

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#44: How to sell or buy an independent media agency, with former Media Experts CEO Mark Sherman 17:10

1M ago17:10

17:10

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Brian interviews Mark Sherman, founder of Media Experts, Canada's largest independent media agency prior to its sale to Interpublic. Mark provides a wide range of perspectives on independent media agencies, how to make the most of selling an agency and how to make the most of buying one, too. Subscribe to the …

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#43: Building a lasting independent agency, with Venables Bell & Partners’ Paul Venables 39:41

2M ago39:41

39:41

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Olivia and Brian interview Paul Venables, founder and chairman of Venables Bell & Partners, the independent San Francisco agency known for its work with Audi, Chipotle, and Intel. Paul shares how “doing right by people” became both a cultural mantra and a competitive business strategy that’s guided VB&P’s deci…

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#42: Building a differentiated agency — with Robin Bonn of Co:definery 37:04

2M ago37:04

37:04

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Olivia and Brian interview Robin Bonn, founder of Co:definery and host of The Immortal Life of Agencies. Robin advises agency leaders on positioning, growth strategy, and differentiation to help them define what makes their business truly distinct in a changing market. Robin explains why so many agencies confu…

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#41: Inside Allen & Gerritsen: Andrew Graff on leading an independent agency and creative growth 39:22

2M ago39:22

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#40: Inside agency reviews, compensation models, and AI’s impact — with Rachel Huff 40:55

2M ago40:55

40:55

Welcome to Agency Business. Olivia and Brian interview Rachel Huff, founder of Victoire & Co. and a leading agency search consultant. Rachel works with CMOs and brand leaders to run agency reviews and has a clear view of what clients actually value when choosing partners. She explains how brand marketers approach agency search and compensation mode…

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#39: Campaign’s Luz Corona on the Rise of Indie Agencies and the Changing Trade Landscape 38:33

2M ago38:33

38:33

On this episode of Agency Business, Olivia and Brian interview Luz Corona, editor of Campaign US. Luz leads coverage of advertising agencies across the U.S., shaping how the industry understands shifts in creativity, media, and marketing. She explains how Campaign US covers the ad agency beat with depth and context, including its signature “100 day…

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#38: How AKQA EMEA Is Evolving Under WPP Integration and AI Transformation — Geoff Northcott 28:06

3M ago28:06

28:06

This week on Agency Business, Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser speak with Geoff Northcott, CEO of AKQA in EMEA. Geoff's been there 18 years, building a career at the intersection of creativity and technology. From launching Nike+ campaigns to opening offices around the world, his path reflects AKQA’s dual commitment to craft and innovation. Now leadi…

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#37: How James Dale Scaled Sine Digital in Broadway and the West End 33:06

3M ago33:06

33:06

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, James Dale, CEO and founder of Sine Group and Sine Digital, joins Olivia on the show. Dale’s path into agency life was anything but conventional. A former musician whose band once played at Glastonbury and toured with Band of Horses, he saw his career collapse when streaming upended the music business and data…

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#36: From The Richards Group to Independence: Pedro Lerma’s Agency Playbook 35:12

3M ago35:12

35:12

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Pedro Lerma, CEO and founder of LERMA/ joins us on the show. Pedro shares his unconventional career journey—from selling radio spots in Wichita Falls to spending 23 years at The Richards Group, where he built both its digital practice and its Hispanic marketing arm, Richards/Lerma. He explains how that experie…

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#35: Why Mid-Size Agencies Have an Edge, With Kat Ott of Havas Chicago 37:20

4M ago37:20

37:20

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, Brian interviews Kat Ott, president of Havas Chicago. Kat’s unconventional path into advertising—from professional ballerina to agency president—shapes her perspective as what she calls a “modern marketer.” She explains how Havas Chicago operates like a speedboat: integrated, mid-size, and agile enough to make…

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#34: Anthropology, Independence, and Growth at Kelly Scott Madison, with President Chad Maxwell 30:34

4M ago30:34

30:34

Welcome to Agency Business. This week, co-hosts Brian and Olivia are joined by Chad Maxwell, president of Kelly Scott Madison (KSM). Maxwell’s path into advertising started in anthropology, a background that still informs how he runs KSM today—both in understanding consumers and in building culture inside the agency. He shares how that perspective …

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#33: Building a Social-First Ad Agency — Movement Strategy CEO Jason Mitchell 36:43

4M ago36:43

36:43

Welcome to Agency Business. This week Jason Mitchell, CEO of Movement Strategy, joins us to discuss how a social‑first shop scales from a college startup into a 180‑person creative agency. He explains why early pricing was a competitive advantage, how Movement Strategy grew from social AOR work into 360 creative projects, and why creator marketing …

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#32: The Business of Comedy in Advertising, with Party Land’s Haley Hunter 27:53

4M ago27:53

27:53

In this episode of Agency Business, Haley Hunter, co-founder, COO, and CMO of Party Land, joins us to discuss building a comedy-forward creative agency that can still win serious business. Haley shares how Party Land has scaled from a scrappy indie shop into a creative force behind campaigns for brands like Liquid Death, Every Man Jack, JanSport, a…

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#31: Inside MediaLink With Andrea Kerr Redniss: Agency Reviews, UTA Synergies, and Strategic Growth 26:36

4M ago26:36

26:36

In this episode of Agency Business, Andrea Kerr Redniss, managing director and co-lead of marketing transformation at MediaLink, joins us to discuss how the firm has evolved from its relationship-driven origins into a full-fledged strategic consultancy. She shares how MediaLink works with Fortune 100 brands on marketing transformation, AI integrati…

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#30: Inside M+C Saatchi Americas’ Growth Strategy, With CEO Nadja Bellan-White 31:32

5M ago31:32

31:32

This week on Agency Business, Olivia and Brian speak with Nadja Bellan-White, group CEO of M+C Saatchi Americas. Nadja explains how the agency is structured to compete across disciplines—from creative and PR to sports marketing and issues management—while remaining lean and independent. She outlines how the team scopes work through upfront strategy…

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#29: How FCB New York Leverages Its Autonomy 38:35

5M ago38:35

38:35

This week on Agency Business, Olivia and Brian speak with Emma Armstrong, CEO of FCB New York and global transformation officer at FCB. Emma shares how FCB’s structure gives local offices real autonomy, and how her newly formalized transformation role helps scale innovation across the network. She reflects on how her team built a strong creative re…

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#28: What Chase Design Group Built After Losing Its Founder 40:49

5M ago40:49

40:49

This week on Agency Business, Olivia speaks with Chris Lowery, president of Chase Design Group. Chris shares how he helped scale Chase Design Group from a three-person studio in a Silver Lake house into a global design agency with offices in Los Angeles, New York, and the UK. He reflects on the company’s creative roots in music and entertainment, t…

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#27: Building a Multi-Agency Model for Collaboration, With Tim Ringel 37:19

6M ago37:19

37:19

This week on Agency Business, Olivia speaks with Tim Ringel, global CEO and founder of Meet the People. Tim shares how his global performance marketing background and time at IPG informed his vision for Meet the People, an independent agency group now 800 people strong. The company’s pitch? A multi-agency model designed to preserve individual agenc…

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#26: Tyler Turnbull on FCB, Holding Companies, and the Case for Agency Brands 50:07

6M ago50:07

50:07

Tyler Turnbull, global CEO of FCB, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to talk about what it means to run a global creative network today—and why he’s betting on premium creativity, flexible local leadership, and a new approach to audience planning. Tyler traces his own journey from intern to global CEO, shares how FCB evolved after the D…

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#25: Paramount Drops WPP, Consultancies Consolidate, and Indies Gain Steam 15:01

6M ago15:01

15:01

This week’s episode of Agency Business is a little different—our scheduled guest couldn’t make it, so co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser go deep on the biggest news of the week. From sudden account moves to growing competition from consulting firms, we explore what it all means for agencies navigating a rapidly evolving landscape. Subscribe to…

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#24: Jill Kelly on the Evolution of Media and Her Vision for Assembly 33:33

6M ago33:33

33:33

Jill Kelly, North America CEO of Assembly, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss her first few months leading the Stagwell media agency—and how she’s thinking about pricing models, technology, and talent in an increasingly complex media ecosystem. Jill shares her unconventional path to executive leadership, which spans media buyi…

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#23: Scaling Exverus Media Without Shortcuts, With Talia Arnold 30:47

7M ago30:47

30:47

Talia Arnold, managing director and co-founder of Exverus Media, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss how the Los Angeles-based agency has scaled without shortcuts—maintaining a lean team, independent ethos, and focus on solving complex marketing problems with creativity and tech-enabled insight. Talia shares her nontraditional …

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#22: Sean Corcoran on Leading BarkelyOKRP's MissionOne Media 35:34

7M ago35:34

35:34

Sean Corcoran, president of MissionOne Media and longtime agency leader, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss the launch of MissionOne within the growing “big indie” platform BarkleyOKRP—and what it takes to build a media brand inside a full-service agency structure. Sean walks through his career path, from political work and af…

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#21: Red Door Interactive CEO Reid Carr on Building an Integrated Agency Business 32:00

7M ago32:00

32:00

Reid Carr, CEO and executive creative director of Red Door Interactive joins this week's episode of Agency Business. In a wide-ranging interview, Reid shares the history of his agency, its focus on integrated services and the choices he has made as the business has grown. Plus, Brian and Reid discuss: S4 Capital and Stagwell's diverging Q1 2025 res…

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#20: Acadia CEO Jared Belsky on Growth, Ethics, and the Mid-Market 39:05

7M ago39:05

39:05

Jared Belsky, CEO and co-founder of Acadia, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to talk about building a mid-market agency at scale and why he’s become one of the industry’s most vocal critics of principal-based media buying. Jared shares what led him to co-found Acadia after leading 360i, and why the firm has centered its business model …

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#19: José Villa of Sensis on Building a Cross-Cultural Agency 29:18

7M ago29:18

29:18

José Villa, founder and president of Sensis, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to talk about what it takes to build and scale an independent cross-cultural agency, and what the future of multicultural marketing looks like in today's shifting business and political climate. José shares the origin story behind Sensis, how the agency evolv…

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#18: Mediahub’s Place in IPG’s Media Model, With Nicole Estebanell 36:28

8M ago36:28

36:28

Nicole Estebanell, U.S. CEO of Mediahub, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to talk about what it means to lead a challenger agency inside one of the world’s largest media networks. Nicole walks through her career journey, beginning with her early media roles at Digitas and Neo to later leading the Nike account at Mindshare, serving as g…

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#17: Blending Creative and Tech at Scale, With VML's Jon Cook 35:10

8M ago35:10

35:10

Jon Cook, CEO of VML, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to talk about the agency’s evolution and what it means to lead a business that spans both world-class creative and deep enterprise technology. Jon walks through how VML was formed through a series of mergers — including Wunderman, J. Walter Thompson, and Y&R — and how the newly uni…

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#16: Building a Brand-First Business, With Simon Hill of FutureBrand 30:52

8M ago30:52

30:52

Simon Hill, U.S. president of FutureBrand, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to talk about what it takes to build a consultancy built around brand, inside one of the world’s largest holding companies. Simon shares how FutureBrand operates as a brand-led strategy and design company within IPG, and how the firm balances its project-based …

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#15: Running an Indie Creative Powerhouse, With Joan’s Lisa Clunie 41:52

8M ago41:52

41:52

Lisa Clunie, co-founder and CEO of JOAN joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to talk about what it takes to build and lead a modern independent agency. From JOAN's origins in New York to its expansion into Berlin and London, Lisa shares how the company has evolved into a multi-faceted creative firm—with an advertising agency, production st…

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#14: Navigating Media’s Pricing Dilemmas With Kate O’Brien 30:39

9M ago30:39

30:39

Kate O’Brien, founder of Powers of Reasoning and former executive at Omnicom Media Group agencies such as Hearts & Science and Resolution Agency, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss evolving compensation models, balancing senior talent with efficiency, and the future of media agency leadership. Drawing from her extensive exper…

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#13: Growth in Uncertain Times: Jane Crisan on Leading Rain the Growth Agency 31:07

9M ago31:07

31:07

Jane Crisan, CEO of Rain the Growth Agency, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss how independent agencies are navigating market uncertainty, balancing media and creative, and leveraging technology to drive client growth. Jane shares her journey from leading digital practices at holding company agencies to taking the helm at Rain…

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#12: Why Some Agencies Are Thriving While Others Struggle—Known CEO Kern Schireson Weighs In 41:21

9M ago41:21

41:21

Kern Schireson, chairman & CEO of Known, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to break down what’s wrong with today’s agency model and how data, AI, and a new approach to transparency could fix it. Kern shares his journey from building a data science consultancy to leading Viacom’s advanced TV efforts and ultimately launching Known, an age…

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#11: Bob Lord on Horizon Media’s Tech Strategy and the Future of Agencies 43:52

9M ago43:52

43:52

Bob Lord, President of Horizon Media Holdings, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss how Horizon is challenging the traditional agency model with AI, transparency, and performance-based pricing. Bob explains why he believes the media industry is in a “Great Marketing Emergency”—lagging behind other sectors in adopting technology …

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#10: The HoldCos: Collections of Agencies or Marketing Services Firms? With Macquarie Group's Tim Nollen 37:06

10M ago37:06

37:06

Tim Nollen, a longtime ad industry sell-side analyst at Macquarie Group Ltd. and previously at J.P. Morgan and Bear Stearns, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss the state of agency holding companies, their challenges, and the sustainability of their business models. Tim explains how financial pressures, shifting client demands,…

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#9: The Creative AI Revolution & What It Means for Agencies—With mktg.ai CEO Kevin Wassong 43:10

10M ago43:10

43:10

Kevin Wassong, founder & CEO of marketing analytics startup mktg.ai, joins co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping creative and media, and why most marketers are struggling to keep up. Kevin explains why creative and media have been siloed for decades, how AI is accelerating the velocity of conten…

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Episode 8: QRY CEO Samir Balwani on Brand Investment, Media Buying & Agency Growth 33:20

10M ago33:20

33:20

Samir Balwani, founder and CEO of media agency QRY, join co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser to discuss the evolving role of media agencies, the challenges of brand awareness investments, and how independent agencies can compete with industry giants. Samir shares thoughts on why mid-sized brands struggle with top-of-funnel marketing and how his…

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Episode 7: OMD’s Chrissie Hanson on Media Strategy, Data & Leadership 28:54

10M ago28:54

28:54

Co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser sit down with Chrissie Hanson, CEO of OMD USA, to discuss the evolving role of media agencies, balancing creativity with cost efficiency, and how brands can maximize the impact of their media investments. Chrissie shares her journey from strategist to CEO, highlighting how her background in media buying and p…

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Episode 6: Ebiquity's Ruben Schreurs on Smarter Ad Spend 23:45

10M ago23:45

23:45

In this episode of Agency Business, co-hosts Olivia Morley and Brian Wieser interview Ruben Schreurs, CEO of Ebiquity, to explore the evolving landscape of media investment and the role of media audits in maximizing ad spend. Ruben shares insights into how brands can ensure their media dollars are working harder, the importance of transparency in a…

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Episode 5: The Independent Agency Model with Crossmedia USA’s Kamran Asghar 27:11

11M ago27:11

27:11

In this episode of Agency Business, Brian Wieser and Olivia Morley talk with Kamran Asghar, CEO and founder of Crossmedia USA, about the evolving landscape of independent media agencies. Asghar shares insights into Crossmedia’s journey, its commitment to transparency, and how independent agencies can provide an alternative to holding company networ…

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Episode 4: Joanne Davis and Agency Search Consulting 27:55

11M ago27:55

27:55

In this episode of Agency Business, Brian and Olivia are joined by Joanne Davis, one of the industry's leading agency search consultants. Joanne founded Joanne Davis Consulting in 2000 and became a partner in SCAN International in 2006 and is currently Co-CEO. The firm specializes in agency models – internal and external, agency search/selection, a…

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Episode 3: FerebeeLane Co-Founders Matt Ferebee and Josh Lane 35:44

11M ago35:44

35:44

In this episode of Agency Business, we're joined for a fascinating conversation with independent agency FerebeeLane's co-founders to talk about working with high-end brands, broadening service offerings, global expansion and how Matt and Josh manage their business more generally. We also discuss recent industry news including the appointment of Bob…

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Episode 2: Omnicom+IPG, A Discussion With Forrester's Jay Pattisall 34:22

12M ago34:22

34:22

In this episode of Agency Business, Brian Wieser and Olivia Morley are joined by Jay Pattisall, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester, to discuss the biggest agency news of the year (and probably the decade): Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG. Wieser, Morley, and Pattisall share their insights into the implications of this deal, including: W…

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Episode 1: Paul Woolmington, CEO of Canvas Worldwide 39:38

12M ago39:38

39:38

On our debut episode, Olivia and Brian interview Paul Woolmington, CEO of Canvas Worldwide to talk about his experiences as a leader in the agency industry. We discuss a significant amount of history given his foundational role establishing media agencies as stand-alone businesses (at Y&R and The Media Kitchen) and co-founding Naked, which pioneere…