Mentor

Rory Sutherland has spent decades at the heart of creativity and behavioural insight as Vice Chairman of Ogilvy, and as one of the most distinctive voices to appear on stages like TED. But in this conversation, we go far deeper than his well-known ideas on psychology and perception.

In this episode of Mentor, Rory opens up about the role of serendipity in his career — how chance encounters, unexpected missteps and playful curiosity shaped his path more than any strategic masterplan ever could.

We also explore why he believes neurodiversity is a feature, not a bug. Rory argues that organisations thrive when they embrace unusual thinkers, outliers and people whose minds don’t follow the standard linear route — because that’s where originality actually lives.

And in a classic Rory provocation, he proposes that every company should run with two boards: one focused on cost, systems and operations… and another focused entirely on customers, opportunity and growth. It’s a bold idea that reframes how organisations make decisions — and who they listen to.

This is a conversation about creativity, chance, misfits, and the surprising forces that shape a meaningful career. It’s wise, funny, challenging, and full of Rory at his most candid.

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Bruce Daisley LIVE! — one of the UK’s most influential voices on fixing work — joins us on stage in front of 200 people for the first MENTOR Live at Adwanted Future of Media event.

Recognised by LinkedIn as one of the world’s top 10 voices on the future of work, Bruce has led Twitter and YouTube across Europe, written the Financial Times-acclaimed book Fortitude, and hosts the #1 Apple business podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat.

We dive into the myth of resilience, how workplaces can rebuild real connection, and why joy, trust, and laughter are the true foundations of strong teams.

A bold, essential conversation about how work broke — and how we can fix it.

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In this episode, hosts Marco Bertozzi and Rachel Forde are joined by Leigh Thomas, a dynamic leader whose career spans top creative agencies and some of the world’s most influential tech platforms. Now serving as Vice President EMEA at Intuit (Mailchimp, Quickbooks etc).

We dive into leadership, creativity, transformation, and the evolving role of technology in business — all through the lens of someone who has led at the highest levels of both agency and tech.

Before stepping into the fintech space, Leigh spent more than 20 years shaping the creative industry. She held senior leadership roles at renowned agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, where she served as Managing Director, and Dare, where as CEO she guided the agency through a strategic transformation and acquisition. Her ability to bridge creativity, digital innovation and commercial impact later led her to Meta, where she worked as Director of Global Client Partnerships across EMEA, supporting major brands navigating the rapidly shifting world of digital and social media.

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In today’s episode, we had the privilege of speaking with Stephen Miron, one of the most respected and well-liked figures in British media — the long-time CEO, and soon-to-be Chairman, of Global, the powerhouse behind Capital, Heart, LBC, Classic FM, DAX, and one of Europe’s largest outdoor networks.

Over 16 years, Stephen has helped transform Global from a £200 million radio group into a billion-pound, multi-platform media organisation. His leadership has shaped how millions of us consume audio and media every single day.

For me, there was something incredibly powerful in what Stephen shared — the idea that you have to know when to exit stage left. It’s about trust, timing, and the courage to let others lead.

Marco put it brilliantly: “Disrupt yourself before someone else does.” It’s not just a business mantra — it’s a life philosophy.

Stay tuned for a conversation full of wisdom on leadership, disruption, evolution, and knowing when to pass the baton.

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From Ogilvy to Publicis to Accenture Song, Dame Annette King has led some of the biggest transformations in the marketing world — fusing creativity, technology and commercial impact. In this episode of MENTOR, she reflects on a career defined by reinvention, resilience and relentless drive.

Annette shares how she built high-performing teams obsessed with winning pitches, learned to balance ambition with wellbeing after decades at the top, and why true leadership is about staying human through constant change. She opens up about navigating a career in motion, mentoring the next generation, and leading with clarity and compassion, even when the pressure’s on.

This is a candid, energising conversation about success, sustainability, and finding meaning beyond the metrics.

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In this episode, Bruce Daisley — one of the UK’s most influential voices on fixing work — joins us to unpack what that really means.

Recognised by LinkedIn as one of the world’s top 10 voices on the future of work, Bruce has led Twitter and YouTube across Europe, written the Financial Times-acclaimed book Fortitude, and hosts the #1 Apple business podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat.

We dive into the myth of resilience, how workplaces can rebuild real connection, and why joy, trust, and laughter are the true foundations of strong teams.

A bold, essential conversation about how work broke — and how we can fix it.

PDF about how to launch a book : http://eatsleepworkrepeat.com/bestseller

The Joy of Work : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joy-Work-Business-Bestseller-Culture/dp/1847942393

Fortitude : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fortitude-Unlocking-Secrets-Inner-Strength/dp/B09MJJ2T4X

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Nick Beighton (ex-CEO of ASOS) drops a leadership masterclass: why culture really does eat strategy, how “purpose drives profit,” and the experimental mindset that helped scale ASOS from £223M to nearly £4B. Rachel and Marco dig into decision frameworks, data-driven experimentation (down to the Add-to-Bag button), buying Topshop, progressive people policies, and the “Magpie Moment” that shaped ASOS’s purpose: giving people the confidence to be whoever they want to be. Plus: learning to pivot, managing imposter syndrome, and the decade-by-decade career roadmap (learn, experiment, double-down, give back).

If you enjoy Mentor, follow and share with someone navigating their own leadership path. For exec search & consulting: visit https://thezoo.london/

Chapters:

0:00 - Welcome & why Mentor (hard-earned wisdom)
4:04 - Guest intro: Nick Beaton’s path to ASOS & beyond
5:28 - Career snapshot & early lessons
14:23 - Retail wake-up: live in the numbers, think like the customer
15:15 - Making failure safe: ASOS’s annual “f***-up” list
20:49 - Decision model: customer, people, brand → then finance
27:09 - The Topshop acquisition: full-circle strategy
44:00 - The Magpie Moment: purpose = “confidence to be whoever you want to be”
51:54 - Advice to 25-year-old self: back yourself, pivot, pursue purpose

A Viral Tribe Production

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Kathleen Saxton (psychotherapist, ex-Global CMO, and author) joins Marco Bertozzi and Rachel Forde for a masterclass in mentorship and leadership. From “don’t be a passenger” to building “the board you can’t afford,” Kathleen shares battle-tested tactics from 30+ years across agencies, media owners, entrepreneurship and psychotherapy. They cover asking senior leaders for time (and getting a yes), getting in the right rooms, avoiding performative vulnerability, recovering from career missteps, trusting your gut in hiring, and her new books on narcissism, recovery and modern leadership.

If you enjoyed this, follow Mentor on Apple & Spotify, subscribe on YouTube, and tell us your best mentor advice in the comments!

Recorded at Viral Tribe Studios in Soho

Buy Kathleen’s book, here

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Advertising legend Sir John Hegarty (co-founder of BBH) joins hosts Marco Bertozzi and Rachel Forde for a masterclass in creativity, brand building and brave decision-making. From getting fired at 21 to launching BBH and shaping culture with Levi’s, BA and more, Sir John Hegarty shares why irreverence matters, how to build movements (not ads), and why, yes, even in the age of AI, the people closest to the idea will win!

Recorded at Viral Tribe Studios in Soho.

Chapters

0:00 — Welcome & why Hegarty matters (plus teaser)

3:01 — Sir John’s bio & early years in advertising

5:31 — Career in 60 seconds

7:09 — Fired young: conviction over comfort

16:25 — Irreverence & the Black Sheep philosophy

25:09 — Brands as culture: trust, authenticity & “stop stalking”

28:10 — Building The Business of Creativity & the Whalar deal

34:29 — AI: stay closest to the idea (real advice for creatives & CMOs)

47:50 — Founding BBH: no-spec pitches, principles & brand lessons

1:05:44 — Mentorship, no regrets & “Timing is everything”

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Karen Blackett CBE joins Rachel Ford and Marco Bertozzi for a masterclass in modern leadership. From “learn, earn, serve” to “two ears, one mouth,” Karen breaks down the habits that build winning, heads-up teams. We get real on mentors vs sponsors, a pitch lost to bias (and how to let it go), inclusion that drives performance, and what it’s like to lead 13,000 people at WPP. Karen also shares how she managed leaving, grief and all, plus sport, parenting, and the global mindset she wishes she’d adopted sooner.

Recorded at Viral Tribe Studios in Soho

Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome & show setup

00:28 – Karen Blackett: bio & mantra

03:30 – Career in 60 seconds

11:21 – “Two ears, one mouth”

13:30 – Belonging & finding your tribe

20:37 – Mentors vs sponsors

24:46 – The pitch lost to bias

29:47 – Inclusion that drives growth

38:38 – Change: on/off/at the bus stop

43:17 – Leaving WPP & advice at 25

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