What Next?

Hannah Bauer, founder and CEO of Heartnomics, on her journey from surviving childhood heart disease to leading a firm that helps leaders rebuild trust, alignment, and resilience. A Maxwell leadership faculty member, Lean Six Sigma, Black Belt and Bull Ridge examiner,she explains the importance of balancing love and excellence in leadership, particularly in times of change. She argues that the future of success and leadership is a unique combination of math and meaning, of excellence and heart. In  a world that is overwhelmed with burnout and disengagement, focusing on the psychological safety of your teams, she says, is an essential business strategy.#Business #Leadership

Sangeet Paul Choudary, author and strategist on platforms and the digital economy, explains how AI is re-stacking who creates and captures knowledge. He discusses system-level shifts beyond tasks. He compares historic infrastructure changes to AI’s ripple effects. He highlights where value will move and how organizations and workers must rethink roles and boundaries.

As Publicis Groupe celebrates its 100th anniversary, we’re revisiting a timeless conversation with Maurice Lévy — a leader whose legacy is deeply woven into the company’s story.In this wide-ranging interview, Maurice shares the inside story of the Power of One, how Viva Technology is poised to evolve, and why “the blank cheque of trust” is worth more than the paper it’s written on. He speaks candidly about his own “basket of failures” and why you should “stay in bed at home” if you have no passion for the work you do.

Warren Kornblum, a marketing leader and author of Notes from The Brand Stand discusses the importance of “share of heart" in building brands by engendering and building trust.  The former CMO of Toys R Us says that our need for trust, human connection and long-term growth outweighs the need for any short-term focus on efficiency and scale. In this fast-changing world of algorithms and data, he says, we must focus on human-centric leadership and emotional connections in building lasting brand loyalty.#marketing #business #leadership

Carla Michelotti, a legend in advertising and law, discusses the importance of rebooting, staying relevant, and the need to grow new muscles before our “old” brain muscles become atrophied by AI.  Carla has held senior roles at Leo Burnett, BCom3, and the Publicis Groupe and today continues as an advisor to many firms and organizations, including the American Advertising Federation as its Government Affairs Chair, and the as a board member of BBB National Programs. In this conversation, she highlights the impact of AI on the legal and advertising sectors, and the necessity of adapting laws and business models to accommodate AI, truly an alien intelligence. She advocates for increased education and literacy about AI, especially regarding its use in children's AI companion bots, and stresses the importance of maintaining human involvement and particularly the business value that human wisdom has in an AI-driven world.Learn more about the BBB National Programs Center for Industry Self-Regulation (CISR) initiative on guardrails for AI companion bots.https://industryselfregulation.org/incubator/ai

Jess Butcher MBE, CEO and founder of Scrollaware on her transition from tech entrepreneur to social advocate for digital balance. The award-winning consumer tech entrepreneur, (most notably with AR pioneer, Blippar), a Fortune "Most Powerful Female Entrepreneur", BBC's 100 Women and three times TEDx speaker, calls for an urgent, more ethical approach to societal tech-addiction.  She argues that consumers, educators, legislators... and now business must take action to address the rapid society-wide growth of overwhelm, distraction, negativity, polarisation and loneliness . She shares evidence of the growing shoots of digital defiance among Gen Z and Gen Alpha and cites marketers and advertisers from KitKat to Heineken who are already leveraging cultural changes to shift the conversation.  She declares this the next CSR frontier, with the potential for businesses to work together to reprioritise the IRL embodied lives of both their staff and customers. 

Teresa Barreira, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Publicis Sapient on the role of human values in the AI integrated business. The former Chief Marketing Officer of Deloitte Consulting, with senior leadership roles at Accenture and IBM argues that the shift from human-first AI strategies to AI-first approaches is redefining human roles and enhancing productivity in the workplace. But she says it’s the opportunity to build a culture of exploration and learning that AI can offer, by automating up to 90% of tasks and freeing humans to focus on high-value activities. A hybrid work environment is one which places value on human failure and reflection and where humans and AI can collaborate seamlessly.#Business #AI #FutureOfWork

Todd Irwin, a brand strategist and founder of Fazer, brings his creative background to the forefront as he discusses the transformative concept of depositioning. He argues for a shift from mere brand differentiation to problem-solving, emphasizing how brands can win by addressing customer pain points. Todd critiques the marketing industry's obsession with differentiation, using Apple as a prime example. With insights on the rise of AI and the importance of strategies that focus on solutions, he inspires both agencies and entrepreneurs to adapt for growth.

Veronika Kryuchkova, Global Head of Capability Building for the Reckitt Marketing Academy and host of the Get Superpowered podcast, shares insights on thriving in a human-plus-machine world. She defines high-agency professionals as those who combine belief, action, and ownership to shape their careers. Veronika introduces the concept of a Capability Stack, emphasizing intentional skill development. She advocates for continuous micro-reinventions as powerful growth strategies, illustrating how small, consistent improvements can lead to significant career advancements.

Christian Godden, Head of Strategy at Malmö FF and former strategic director at BBDO Nordics, dives into the vital role of community in football. He shares how Malmö FF operates on 'human currency,' prioritizing community engagement over financial resources. From innovative educational programs to building resilience through trust, he explores how sports foster belonging. Christian argues for balancing data with genuine relationships, emphasizing that technology should connect, not isolate people. This conversation reveals the power of community in shaping a club's identity.