The Future of In-House Creative Leadership

This time, I am joined by Matthew Knight, founder of The Independency Co., a platform of projects supporting freelancers, and those who work with freelancers.With a background spanning digital, creative and media agencies, as well as brands such as LEGO and Klarna, Matthew works with organisations looking for strategic clarity, but perhaps most notably, he has spent the last ten years supporting freelancers and is passionate about improving the relationship between hirers and independent workers to create a more supported and sustainable way of working.-------We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

In this episode, I am joined by Katie Rosen, Global Head of Creative at Gousto. Katie is a seasoned creative leader with over 20 years of experience leading in-house creative teams across iconic brands. Previously, she has led global creative at innocent drinks and held senior roles at The Football Association and the Natural History Museum. With a background in typography, graphic communication, and coaching, Katie is passionate about building inclusive, high-performing creative teams.  She specializes in shaping brand experiences across campaigns, packaging, print, digital, social, and events, while nurturing a culture of creativity, collaboration, and strategic impact within organizations. She’s particularly focused on using creativity to deepen customer relationships – driving loyalty, advocacy, and connection across the full customer journey.--------We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

In this bonus episode, I’m joined by my co-founder and business partner, Sarah Halfpenny, Head of Community, Events, and Awards at the Inside Out Community, to discuss the heritage of the awards, what makes them different, and how to put together a standout entry.The Inside Out® Awards - the only independent, accredited awards recognising in-house creative excellence across the globe - are officially open for entries.Originally created in 2013 to champion, celebrate, and recognise the business impact of in-house creative teams on their brands, in the decade since their launch, the Inside Out® Awards have become a go-to destination for in-house creative teams to celebrate and showcase their work. Regardless of team set-up, size, location, budget or resource, our inclusive award categories give a wide range of opportunities for in-house creative teams to gain the external and internal recognition they deserve. Sarah has been at the heart of the awards journey from the very early days. So if you're part of an in-house creative team, whether you're small, mighty, global or growing, this episode is your inside guide to why these awards matter, how they work and how to tell your story in a way that truly lands. --------Learn everything you need to know about entering the Inside Out® Awards from our Awards Information Pack:https://theinsideout.community/awards/how-to-enter#awards-info-pack

In this episode, I am joined by David Breckon, Creative Lead at Carta, a global fintech company helping businesses around the globe manage company ownership. Before moving in-house, David built his creative experience across agencies and freelance projects, working with a range of brands to translate complex ideas into compelling design and experience.Since joining Carta, he’s been shaping a creative function that blends business strategy with user-focused design, helping the company scale visually and operationally. From designing seamless product experiences to building a team culture that balances creativity with impact, David shows how in-house teams can drive real business value.-----We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here: https://theinsideout.community/insider/

This time I am joined by Stephanie Melodia. Stephanie is a keynote speaker, growth strategist, MBA lecturer and host of the top business show, Strategy & Tragedy. As former CEO and founder of Bloom, an award-winning marketing agency, Stephanie has amassed a vast array of firsthand data points on entrepreneurship, funding, and growth - working with 100+ startups in just 5 years.Her keynote on hacking luck explores the science behind stacking the odds in your favour, because luck isn't random; it's the result of optimistic thinking, strategic risk-taking, practising gratitude, and next-level resilience.I wanted Stephanie to join me on the podcast to talk about how we can better embrace change, instill a more entrepreneurial approach - and to talk about the mindsets and tools we need for high energy motivated and innovative creative teams.-----We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

This time I am joined by Gareth Chilton, a seasoned professional specializing in the integration of AI within creative operations. Gareth is the founder of ManMachine, a consultancy specializing in MarTech for Creative Operations.With over 20 years of experience in business transformation and two successful exits in the digital and MarTech sectors, Gareth helps organizations integrate people, process, and technology to optimize their MarTech stacks and operational efficiency. His expertise spans diverse marketing and consumer tech sectors, working with both startups and blue-chip clients globally.As an advisor for the Inside Out Community, Gareth provides valuable insights into the evolving landscape of creative operations, emphasizing the integration of AI and automation to enhance creative workflows.We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates - all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey. If you’re curious more info is here: https://theinsideout.community/insider/

Lauren Pleydell-Pearce is Chief Creative Officer at PwC UK, where she leads a multidisciplinary team of strategists and designers to solve complex challenges for their clients across brand, experience, and innovation.For nearly two decades, Lauren has led creative teams at agencies and directed design for major brands like Audi, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Spotify, The Old Vic, and Volvo.Her journey from agency to leading creative at a consulting firm gives her a unique insight into how to integrate design and creativity into business strategy.Lauren is the author of PwC’s Growth Through Experience 2025 report — a fascinating look at how brands can unlock business growth with emotionally intelligent experiences. Download the report here: https://www.pwcresearch.com/uc/images/GrowthThroughExperience_2025.pdfI will be diving into the findings to see what this all means for in-house creative leaders, and how we can shape the next generation of brand experiences by balancing emotional intelligence with artificial intelligence.----We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

In this episode I am joined by Nicola Wardell, Managing Director of Specsavers Creative. Nicola brings over 20 years of experience leading creative, brand, and marketing teams for some of the world’s best-known brands. At Specsavers, she heads the in-house agency, driving creative strategy and award-winning campaigns that have helped shape the brand’s distinctive voice.Before joining Specsavers in 2020, Nicola was Chief Client Officer at Havas and previously held senior leadership roles at GREY London, where she led on major clients including United Biscuits, GSK, and Pringles. Her career also includes directing internal and external teams to deliver a major brand re-launch for Airmiles, and agency-side roles with clients such as Gillette, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Greene King.Nicola is known for her collaborative leadership style, passion for mentoring, and commitment to building inclusive, high-performing teams. Her expertise in delivering impactful campaigns and nurturing creative talent has made her a respected leader in the industry.---We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

This time, I’m joined by Lee Barnsley, Design Excellence Director at Reckitt — the company behind some of the world’s most recognised and trusted brands, including Dettol, Durex, Finish, Vanish and Nurofen.At Reckitt, Lee is leading the transformation of design — building a global Design Excellence function that combines creativity, strategy, and technology to drive innovation, elevate brand experiences, and create measurable business impact. His mission is to make design not just beautiful, but influential as a driver of growth and differentiation across Reckitt’s global portfolio.Before joining Reckitt, Lee held senior creative roles across global agencies, partnering with brands such as Nestlé, Mondelez, Unilever, and Heineken. His international career has taken him across Europe, Asia, and Australia, shaping his belief that great design happens at the intersection of cultural insight, empathy, and innovation.---We offer a FREE Insider membership with access to our job board, learning resources and community updates — all designed to support you in your in-house leadership journey.If you’re curious more info is here https://theinsideout.community/insider/

It’s a slightly different episode this time, but I thought you might enjoy hearing the common themes that have come up for our Inside Out® members this year, the macro trends and challenges I have been observing and….my predictions for 2026!Access our Pathway by signing up to our FREE Insider membership here https://theinsideout.community/membership/Have a great festive break and thank you for listening! 🎄