Guest Information

• Name: Jason Holzman
• Title: SVP, Creative, Production, and Brand Strategy
• Organization: Macy’s
• Expertise:
  • Creative leadership in retail, media, and advertising
  • Scaling creative teams in high-growth and high-change environments
  • AI’s role in creative operations

Episode Summary
The future of creative leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about navigating uncertainty with trust, adaptability, and a new mindset. In this episode, we sit down with Jason Holzman, SVP of Creative, Production, and Brand Strategy at Macy’s, to explore how leaders can shift from control to enablement, balance execution with creativity in the age of AI, and build trust through transparency, empathy, and positivity. Whether you’re a creative ops leader, project manager, or CMO, this conversation is packed with insights on leading through disruption and thriving when the old playbooks no longer work.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership in creative ops is no longer about control—it’s about enablement :
  • The best leaders aren’t making every decision; they’re creating the conditions for better decisions to be made.
• Trust is the most underrated skill in leadership :
  • Uncertainty isn’t going away, but teams that trust their leaders—and each other—move through change faster and more effectively.
• AI is shifting the balance between execution and creativity:
  • Leaders must rethink how they measure value, ensuring that efficiency doesn’t come at the cost of originality.
• Transparency, empathy, and positivity aren’t just buzzwords—they’re survival strategies:
  • In times of rapid change, clarity and human connection are what keep creative teams engaged and performing.
• The future of leadership is about designing for change, not just reacting to it:
  • The best teams aren’t waiting for stability—they’re building systems that thrive in uncertainty.