Ross Benes, Senior Analyst at EMarketer on the impact of media deregulation on entertainment quality. Deregulation, he argues, has led to an increase in trashy content like infomercials and reality TV, but marketeers should recognize its value which millions find meaningful. The author of 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America who has been quoted by publications such as Marketplace, Bloomberg and LA Times, explains how despite the rise in sports fees, the increase in sports programming has led to more exposure for lesser-known sports. We also discuss trend of media personalities moving from online platforms to traditional media, exemplified by Bari Weiss's acquisition by Paramount.

#FutureOfMedia #Entertainment #FutureOfBusiness

Omar Imtiaz, Distinguished Enterprise Architect at Salesforce on the transformative impact of AI on human work. With a background in computer science and IT, Omar argues the importance of the shift from technology-driven to human-centered transformation with AI enhancing human capabilities rather than replacing them. Advocating for a collaborative approach where AI and humans work together, he reminds us that meaning, purpose and emotional engagement is the future of the workplace, unleashing a completely new generation of creativity.

Omer joins us in his personal capacity. The opinions shared are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Salesforce. Nothing here is confidential, proprietary, or advice; it’s a general discussion of industry topics.

#AI #Creativity #Futureofwork

Joe Marchese, co-founder of Human Ventures and Casa Komos Brands Group on the importance of The Attention Economy. The founder of TrueX and former president of advertising revenue for Fox Networks Group who oversaw billions in annual revenue across Fox Broadcast, FX, National Geographic and Fox Sports, including the Super Bowl and World Series, lays out a more effective advertising strategy as the industry shifts from impression-based metrics to real engagement. The value of human relationships and trust in a business world increasingly influenced by AI, he says, must place cultural adjacency and experiential marketing at its core. It is integrity through a human lens, he argues, which will become critical in the marketing of the future.#Business #Human #Marketing

Dr. Mohan Gundeti, pioneer in pediatric robotic and laparoscopic surgery on his innovations in digital surgery, AI, and telerobotics. The first surgeon to perform reconstructive bladder surgery in a child argues for the future of robotic surgery in minimally invasive surgeries, including pediatric patients as young as four months. The use of AI and machine learning to diagnose health conditions and enable remote surgeries, he says, could potentially reduce kidney failure in children and increase global health equity. As a student at the Leadership in Society Initiative at the University of Chicago Graham School, he also argues the case for personal enhancement by training himself for marathons and practicing gratitude.

#Medicine #Robotic

Nick Restrepo, Vice President of Sales at World Emblem, on his journey into heat applied decorations in the garment industry.  Today creativity and personalization driven by AI is spreading everywhere. Using the evolution from traditional sewing to heat-applied dimensional branding as an example, Nick argues the impact of technology, particularly AI, in personalization and streamlining the process. His insights in leadership stress humility, transparency, and client relationship-building, but time, he concludes, is the ultimate currency.

Rick Yvanovich, visionary business coach and serial entrepreneur, on his journey from an accountant to transformational business coach. The author of Business as Unusual, How to Thrive in the New Renaissance, and trusted advisor to driving growth and change around the world argues that being an architect of change, is about blending purpose and performance. He calls for personal accountability in leadership and as a team member, making the choice to shape your life and aligning your own sense of purpose in your organization's success. 

Chris Hirst, award-winning author of No Bullshit Leadership, No Bullshit Change and Indispensable: the No Bullshit Guide to Career Success on leadership and teamwork in the workplace. The former Global CEO at Havas Creative and former CEO at Gray, London who was ranked in 2018's Evening Standard power 1000 list as one of advertising industry's most influential CEOs, argues that leadership is about movement and change while early career development is about attitude, not aptitude. Strategic self-interest and ‘warming the room’ is what builds great careers and strong relationships with bosses focussed on enabling their entire teams to succeed.

#Leadership #CareerGrowth

Michael Walrath, CEO of Yext, on the shift from an internet built for humans to one built for machines. The founder of Right Media which was acquired by Yahoo for $850 million, and Moat which was acquired by Oracle, argues the importance of structured data for AI-driven search and discoverability. Google, he says, will still be important, but will soon no longer be the entire oxygen of the internet. As AI blows this space apart, marketers, he urges, must quickly adapt by focusing on data architecture and leveraging new AI tools like ChatGPT and TikTok. However, he believes that the future is bright, if only for marketers who understand the scope of this exciting tectonic shift.

Anders Indset, leading business philosopher and author of The Singularity Paradox, places the emergence of Artificial Human Intelligence at the center of a broader reflection on what it means to be human in a world of accelerating technological change. Recognized by Thinkers50 as one of the most influential voices in technology, economy, and leadership, he is the founder and chairman of Njordis Group, a venture firm committed to enabling positive progress for humanity.

As the commercialization of humanoid robotics gathers pace, Indset warns of the societal and existential consequences of systems that are increasingly capable of replicating human thought and behavior. In a landscape shaped by exponential transformation, where risks and possibilities unfold simultaneously, he argues for a new mindset: organizations as learning systems, guided by innovation and shaped by ethical cultures rooted in trust, change, and friction.

Steven Gaffney, author and expert in change management and honest communication on his nine-step formula for effective leadership. Coaching and advising high-achieving teams with Fortune 500 clients like Amazon, Marriott and Allstate Insurance and the US government and military has led him to highlight the need for deep listening and addressing emotions. Leaders must create emotionally safe environments he argues. Encouraging honest feedback, maintaining consistency and appreciating employees' hard work fosters a workplace culture centred on achievement and achievers versus performing and performers in a world of ambiguity and change.

#Business #Management

Kudzi Chikumbu, tech executive at TikTok, venture capital advisor and digital influencer on the rise of the portfolio career. He argues that the creator economy is much more than just a side hustle, but a talent pipeline which is already enabling the best creatives to leverage their talent and use social media to express their authentic creativity. The role of human differentiation in the AI age, he argues, will remain crucial as the need rises for creativity, inspiration, and identity to work alongside the machines of the future.

#Tik-Tok #ContentCreators #SocialMedia

Steve Fisher, futurist and innovation leader at Revolution Factory and The Human Frontier Institute on the future of AI and human potential in the workplace. The author of The Startup Equation, host of The Think Forward Show and Off World Podcast discusses his new book, Super Shifts, which argues the importance of designing the future rather than simply reacting to it or resisting it. He says the rapid systemic changes driven by AI and other technological advancements must be seen as an opportunity to reimagine and reinvent if we are to embrace the Age of Intelligence. 

#Startup #AI #HumanIntelligence

On a special crossover episode between Career Lab and What Next, Renetta McCann joins Rishad Tobaccowala to explore the monumental shifts redefining where, when, and why we work. Drawing from insights in Rishad’s new book, Re-Thinking Work, they unpack the five forces reshaping the future of employment—from generational mindset shifts and the rise of AI to the gig economy and the lasting effects of the pandemic. Together, they dive into how "unbundled and distributed work" is evolving into a competitive advantage, enabling greater flexibility and unlocking global talent in today’s ever-changing landscape.

#Leadership #FutureOfWork #Business

James Root, Senior Partner at Bain & Company and author of "The Archetype Effect" on the need to de-average talent management systems. A former adman, his six worker archetypes, Giver, Operator, Artisan, Explorer, Striver, and Pioneer, each based on a different set of motivating priorities, provide a deeper insight into the real needs of the workforce.  He argues that leaders need to understand individual motivations and align them with job roles to get the best from their individuals and their teams in terms of productivity, engagement and business results.

#Business #Productivity #Workforce

Haleh Shoa, founder of Picturli, on intentional digital preservation of memories, both for the individual but also in Business. The former advertising executive who has led global brands such as Apple, Infinity, Nissan and Ritz Carlton through the analogue to digital transition, including spearheading transformation at Ogilvy LA, argues that digital asset management can curate a corporate legacy. Blending storytelling strategy and digital hygiene, she says, can help to preserve what matters most. 

#Business #Photography #Content

Sir John Hegarty on the philosophical heart of creativity. The founder of Bartle Bogle Hegarty and a legend in advertising who now advises startups, argues that the expression of self is the key to creativity. In his series of courses, The Business of Creativity, he explains the need to understand the two different types of creativity: pure and applied. He urges leaders to forget the data and feed their curiosity, doing whatever it takes to make the creative self the source of innovation. As AI’s ‘remarkable’ technology democratizes opportunity, he says that leaders and young entrepreneurs must embrace it as a collaborator, but never lose sight of the superpower of the creative human.

#Creativity #AI #Business #Techonology

Mike Maynard, CEO of the Napier Group on the benefits and challenges of employee ownership, the importance of focus in a competitive market and why to invest in employee growth. An engineer turned marketing man, he argues the need to continually upgrade ourselves and develop our teams, finding a sense of ownership, both in our company and our work. Results do matter, he says, but we need to think much more clearly about how best to measure them.  

#Marketing #Business

Bill Harvey, Emmy-winning media researcher on the three levels of consciousness in the workplace: emergency oversimplification procedure (EOP), observer state, and flow state. An advertising veteran from the Mad Men era, his innovations in advertising, including the passive people meter and set top box data have made him a legend. Now, after decades of consulting for more than 70 of the top 100 advertisers, his non-profit Human Effectiveness Institute which optimizes decision making and has been used by the US, Army and Navy and 34 universities, focuses on the importance of introspection and understanding one's motivations to pursue our passions. His insights have led to more effective advertising, but just as importantly, how to be a more effective human being. 

#Business #HumanIntelligence #Advertising

Rohit Bhargava, founder of the Non Obvious Company and IdeaPress Publishing, on augmented creativity, the human mode, and accelerated learning. Adjunct professor at Georgetown University with a background in marketing and advertising at Ogilvy and Leo Burnett, he argues the significance of live events, media literacy, and the role of the curator in the stories we tell in branding. Technology advancements and storytelling, he says are interlinked, but the future will always depend on the greatest storytellers, and in particular, those who find the non-obvious stories to tell.

#Advertising #Business #Technology

Michael Tchong, pioneer in digital marketing and consumer behaviour and Adjunct Professor of Innovation at the University of San Francisco on uber trend spotting in a world of AI driven innovation, acceleration imperative and time compression.  A trusted authority on market-disrupting trends, he predicts the extinction of digital marketing with the rise of AI-powered disruptors, and the influence of the control enthusiast as consumers demand instant gratification and superior services. He says success in business will be driven by human innovation and human insight in the AI-driven economy with the rise of service marketing where consumers dictate the terms.#Business #AI #Innovation